Battle Report: 2000pts BA vs Nids

[ServoBadger]

Since our new Codex came out I've been using essentially the same list for most games, but since my regular Orky opponent decided to have a go with my girlfriend's Tyranids for a change, I took the opportunity to make a few changes.

 

My list:

 

HQ:

 

The Sanguinor

 

Elites:

 

Sanguinary Guard with Chapter Banner, Death Masks & 1 x Infernus Pistol

 

2 Sanguinary Priests, both with JPs & Power Weapons, one accompanying the Sanguinary Guard & the other with the Assault Squad.

 

Troops:

 

10-man Assault Squad, 1 x Meltagun, 1 x Flamer, Sergeant with Power Weapon

 

10-man Tactical Squad, 1 x Meltagun, 1 x Missile Launcher, Sergeant with Power Weapon

 

10-man Tactical Squad, 1 x Flamer, 1 x Missile Launcher, Sergeant with Power Weapon

 

Fast Attack:

 

Baal Predator with Assault Cannon, Heavy Bolters and Storm Bolter

 

3 x Attack Bikes with Multi-Meltas

 

Heavy Support:

 

Vindicator with Dozer Blade

 

10-man Devastator Squad with Missile Launcher, Plasma Cannon, Heavy Bolter & Lascannon

 

I don't have my opponent's list to hand, but in general he had:

 

HQ:

 

Tyranid Prime with (IIRC) a pair of Boneswords

 

Elites:

 

2 x Hive Guard

 

2 x Venomthropes

 

Troops:

 

12 x Genestealers

 

12 x Genestealers

 

?? x Termgants

 

1 x Tervigon

 

4 x Tyranid Warriors with Boneswords, 3 x Deathspitters, 1 x Barbed Strangler

 

4 x Tyranid Warriors with Boneswords, 3 x Deathspitters, 1 x Barbed Strangler

 

Fast Attack:

 

10 x Gargoyles

 

11 x Gargoyles

 

4? x Tyranid Shrikes with Boneswords

 

Heavy Support:

 

1 x Mawloc

 

1 x Tyrannofex with Rupture Cannon

 

 

My girlfriend set up the scenery on our 6' x 4' table for us, with a line of craters (and the crashed ship from the Maccrage set) at a slight angle down the approximate centre of the table, surrounded with building ruins. This is where almost all of the combat in the game too place. One of the short ends of the table was set up with low walls and trees, while the other was comparatively open.

 

We rolled for Capture and Control with Spearhead deployment. I won the roll and decided to go second. My opponent placed his objective among the trees at the far end of his table edge, I placed mine in a ruined building at the end of the line of craters.

 

My opponent deployed his Tervigon on the objective with a Venomthrope and his Termagants (and the Mawloc), with a squad of Warriors in front of them. He reserved his Fast Attack choices. The rest of his army was deployed as close to the centre of the table as possible within the line of craters.

 

I combat squadded my Devastator and Tactical Squads and deployed both Devastator combat squads and both Missile Lancher Tactical combat squads on and around my objective. The Vindicator and the other combat squads lurked behind this ruin with the Sanguinor and the Sanguinary Guard, while the Attack Bikes and the Baal Predator hid behind another building. I reserved the Assault Squad.

 

My opponent then infiltrated both squads of Genestealers as close as he could to my objective, facing the Vindicator and the two five-man Tactical combat squads with the Sergeants and assault weapons.

 

On the first turn, the Tervigon produced about 11 more Termagants and gave a squad of Warriors FNP. The Genestealers moved in on my objective and pretty much everything else came forward. The Mawloc burrowed. In the shooting phase the Hive Guard used their ability to shoot around corners to attack my Baal Predator but the front armour defeated them. Everything else within range shot at the mass of red marines on my objective but didn't manage to kill anyone. The Genestealers ran forward but didn't get into assault range.

 

On my turn one, I repositioned the Vindicator to face the approaching Genestealers, moved up the Tactical combat squads with the assault weapons alongside it and jumped the Sanguinor and Sanguinary Guard in front of the other squad. The Attack Bikes positioned themselves in front of my objective and the Baal Predator moved 12" down the flank.

 

In the shooting phase the Vindicator and the Tactical Squads did a number on the first Genestealer squad, which fell back off the table, and the Sanguinary Guard shot up the other one with some help from the Plasma Cannon and Heavy Bolter from one of the Devastator combat squads. The rest of the army took a couple of wounds off the Tyrannofex and the Baal Predator shot at the Hive Guard through a gap in the ruins, but didn't achieve much.

 

In my assault phase the Sanguinor and the Sanguinary Guard took on the remains of the Genestealer squad, and the Sanguinor killed all of them before anyone else could get involved. They then consolidated into the cover of a ruined building.

 

In my opponents turn two, the Tervigon again produced more Termagants and gave FNP to the same Warrior squad as before. The Mawloc appeared underneath a Tactical combat squad, killing three, and a Devastator combat squad, killing one - but it took a wound as it came up under a ruin. One of the Gargoyle squads flapped in from my opponent's table edge and took up position facing the Sanguinor and the Sanguinary Guard. Again, everything else moved forward.

 

In the shooting phase, one of my Attack Bikes was wounded by Deathspitter fire while the Baal Predator once again stood up to the Hive Guard. The Gargoyles unloaded on the Sanguinary Guard but a combination of good armour and FNP from the Priest kept them intact. The rest of the Tyranid shooting was ineffective against my marines.

 

In the assault phase, the Gargoyles charged the Saguinary Guard and were obliterated without causing any wounds - although this was luck as I had to roll a LOT of saves.

 

In my second turn, the Assault Squad became available from reserve and flew in from my table edge, lining up to target the Mawloc. The surviving Tactical combat squads formed a semicircle around it on the other side. The Vindicator, things being a bit cramped for it to get involved against the Mawloc, moved up the table to look for new targets. The Sanguinor and the Sanguinary Guard jumped over the ruined building, looking for the Tyrannofex. The Baal Predator moved further toward the other objective and the Attack Bikes repositioned again.

 

In the shooting phase, the Mawloc lost three wounds to Bolt Pistol, Flamer and Meltagun fire. The Baal Predator targeted the Venomthrope protecting the Warriors and Tyranid Prime in the centre and killed it. Pretty much everything else shot at the Tyrannofex but still didn't kill it.

 

In the assault phase, the Assault Squad and the remaining Tactical marines in the combat squads charged the Mawloc. Despite FC on the Assault Squad and four Power Weapons being involved, the Mawloc only took one wound, and killed an Assault Marine in return. The Sanguinor and his mates were out of charge range of the Tyrannofex.

 

In my opponents turn three, the second squad of Gargoyles deep struck next to my objective and the Tervigon finally exhausted its supply of Termagants (a truly stupid number of which were now sitting on his objective). Again, pretty much everything else moved forwards, slowed a bit by the craters. The Tyrannofex moved in on the Sanguinor & Co.

 

In the shooting phase, the Gargoyles targeted a Tactical combat squad with a Missile Launcher, but failed to kill anyone. The Tyrannofex and a squad of Warriors somehow managed to avoid causing any injuries to the Sanguinary Guard. The Hive Guard had more success and immobilised the Vindicator.

 

In the assault phase, the Mawloc killed another Assault Marine but was killed in turn. All of my squads consolidated toward my opponent's objective.

 

In my third turn, the Sanguinary Guard moved up on the Tyranid Prime and his Warriors now that the Venomthrope was out of the picture. The Assault Squad jumped back over my objective to engage the Gargoyles. The Baal Predator continued to move along my side of the table toward the objective and the remaining Tactical marines headed toward the objective, getting close to my opponent's table edge in the process.

 

In the shooting phase, the Sanguinary Guard and the Baal Predator shot up the Warriors with the Prime in the craters in the middle of the table, but left the Prime and a Warrior alive. The Attack Bikes killed a Hive Guard, and the Tyrannofex suffered more injuries from the long-range combat squads on my objective. The Assault squad killed the Gargoyles with Flamer and Bolt Pistol fire.

 

In the assault phase, the Sanguinor and the Sanguinary Guard moved in and cut down the Tyranid Prime and his remaining Warrior.

 

My opponent was not best pleased by this point.

 

The Tyranid fourth turn opened with the Shrikes flying in from my opponent's table edge and taking up position facing my chewed up Tactical combat squads. The remaining Warrior squad moved into a more central position and some of the Termagants began moving up.

 

The shooting of the Shrikes against the larger Tactical combat squad was ineffective, but the Hive Guard killed an Attack Bike. The remaining Warrior squad's shooting was also ineffective.

 

In the assault phase, the Shrikes charged the Tactical combat squad and killed four marines. The sergeant failed his leadership test but was able to break away and fall back.

 

In my turn four, the Baal Predator moved in on the closest squad of Termagants, while the Sanguinor and Sanguinary Guard went after the second Warrior squad. The lone sergeant recoved his composure and moved toward the Shrikes, as did the Assault Squad, who had now been bouncing back and forth between essentially the same positions for three turns. The Attack Bikes drove over the craters to approach point-blank range of the surviving Hive Guard.

 

In the shooting phase, the Sanguinary Guard opened up on the remaining squad of Warriors, but some survived. The Baal Predator killed about six Termagants. The Tyrannofex was FINALLY brought down, and the Attack Bikes finished off the Hive Guard. The Assault Squad, the remaining Tactical marines in the two mauled combat squads, and even the Storm Bolter on the immobilised Vindicator fired on the Shrikes, but couldn't kill them all.

 

In the assault phase the Assault Squad dealt with the remaining Shrike and the Sanguinor and his posse killed the Warriors.

 

My opponent then threw in the towel. He still had a ton of Termagants, a Tervigon and a Venomthrope all sitting on his objective, and I think I'd have been hard pushed to get through all of them before the game ended, but given I'd lost only only ten marines, an Attack Bike and had a tank immobilised, he'd had enough.

 

In fairness I think the dice favoured me more than him this time, and he hadn't optimised his list to face Blood Angels. However, I still learned a few things - most importantly, that I don't need Mephiston, the Death Company and a DC Furioso to win games. I liked having the extra long range punch of the Devastators back as well, they were a staple of my armies under the PDF Codex. I'm not sure the list would work as effectively against Orks, however.

 

Still, any thoughts, comments, suggestions all welcome.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Very well done. :D

 

0b :tu: