BA vs. Nids

[Rybnick]

I've got a game scheduled for this afternoon with my best friend whom I've finaly gotten into 40k. He purchased a good deal of bugs last week and has enough assembled for a small encounter (I think were aiming at 750 or less). I've been trying to come up with a list that is fairly tame for his first time out. From memory this is what he has purchased and assembled so far.

 

Nids:

Hive Tyrant

zoanthrope

Termagaunts

some Warriors

I think a carnifex (at the least its another MC)

hormagaunts

possibly some genestealers

 

No idea what kind of list he is working on (I imagine it will be pretty wonky the frist go-round) so I'm trying to build a decently soft list for him to cut his teeth on (but not too soft :) ). For 750 this is what I'm thinking:

 

Libby w/ JP, Unleashed Rage and Sanguine Sword (possibly sub in Shield)

Sanguinary Priest w/ JP

ASM w/ 2x Melta, PF

Baal Pred w/ dozer blade

Dev's w/ 2x ML

 

Thats spot on 750 points. For lower point games I'd pull out the Baal and the Dev's.

 

Do you think that is too tough a list without being a total pushover? I have decent long range firepower w/ 3x ML, and the sniper rifles and Baal should hopefully help whittle some wounds of MC at a distance. ASM w/ Libby and priest should be pretty tough in CC (Libby powers Rage for troops and Sanguine Sword for MC's). Should be a fairly quick game so hopefully we can squeeze in a couple tonight.

 

I'd appreciate feedback on the list, I'm trying to make the game as fun as possible and try to foaster and promote strategical thinking. I'm not terribly familiar with Nids so if I threw anything in that they have a hard time with please le me know. Thanks for your help!

[thundrchickn]

It really doesn't matter. Just lose. Not outright lose but give the game to him. Forget to move stuff or shoot squads. Just make it enjoyable for your friends first game so he doesn't feel bad that he spent a ton of money on a game to get his face melted. Give it a good fight though to make it exciting and to make him come back for more.

 

Recommend to your friend to invest in hive guard. Their shooting is invaluable in todays mech enviroment. I hear tyrannofexes are good as well although I don't like that they only get like 2 shots that don't hit often :)

[TheMouth]

sounds good, though me personally...NEEDS MORE HEAVY BOLTER....nothing is more awesome then heavy bolter dev squads :) they just look sooooo cooool!!!!

[JamesI]

I'd put shield on the librarian for the simple reason of showing him the mechanics for cover saves.

[Vor]

I'd put shield on the librarian for the simple reason of showing him the mechanics for cover saves.

 

I'd say it's better to show him with normal cover saves, from terrain or other units etc, rather than a power that may confuse him.

[LordofDeath11]

One you lose to him 2 or 3 times, hand him a few world class ass-kickings. Once he see's how much of a difference there is between a beginner and an experienced player, he will be motivated to get better and want to play even more!

[Jorre]

I would def find a way to add mephiston to this list. Nobody says welcome to my game like the lord of death

[Emperors Immortals]

Personally, i would drop the baal and the devs and pick up a tac squad in a rhino and a small dev squad in a DP - include HB cause everyone loves them.

 

 

I totally agree to let him win a few first, so just play a fun army and try not to be too competetive. :huh:

[Rybnick]

Well the game went really well, for his first time out. We ended up at a draw ( I conveniently forgot to move and fire a few units a few times :)). We played a Take and Hold mission with Pitched Battle deployment, we rolled for 5 objectives all crammed in the center of the board (it's hard to fit 5 objectives 12" apart in such a small space!).

 

We played at 800 points.

His list was:

Hive Tyrant

16 Termagaunts

16 Hormagaunts

3 Warriors

1 Zoanthrope

8 Genestealers w/ a Brood Lord

 

My list was:

Libby w/ Rage and Shield and JP

Priest w/ JP

10 man ASM 2x melta PF

5 scouts 4x SR and ML

Baal Pred w/ HB sponsons and Dozer Blade

1 MM Attack Bike

5 Dev's w/ 2 ML

 

He rolled for first turn and took it. He deployed everything on the board right up to the 12" from the board edge line, and started the game holding 2 objectives. I deployed my scouts right on the 12" line on top of a building and my DEv's in another building on the other end of my deployment zone. My lib, priest, and ASM sat behind the building the scouts were in w/ my bike nearby and my Baal sat around mid board closer to my Dev's. I held no objectives at the start.

 

Turn 1

He rushed everything forward Warriors, HT, Zoan, Hormagaunts, and the Termagaunts headed towards my scouts with his genestealers moving through cover towards my Dev's. Shooting wise he pumped the Zoan and the warriors shooting into my scouts causing a handful of wounds that were all saved via cover. He ran all his gaunts and stealers closer. My turn 1 I only moved my Baal pred 6" closer to his Termagaunts. Scouts shot his Zoan causing 2 wounds which he failed one save on. Dev's and Baal shot into the Termagaunt blob killing off 12.

 

Turn 2

I reminded him that to win the game he needed to hold the objectives (he was in a full on assault state of mind) so he pulled his Termagaunts and Warriors back onto 2 objectives. Warriors and Zoan again shot at the scouts but failed to do anything. His Hormaguants, HT, and Stealers ran closer to my fortifications. My turn 2 I moved my ASM about 6" towards the corner of the building the scouts were in and moved my Baal a little closer to take some shots at his warriors. Scouts and Dev's shot at his Zoan and exploded it after it failed its invuln save, the Baal put 2 wounds on the warriros squad, MM bike moved up near my ASM and shot its MM into the HT miraculously causing a wound despite the cover save (I normally have horrid luck doing this)

 

Turn 3

Warriors and Termagaunts stay put on their objectives, Hormagaunts, HT, and Stealers move ever closer. Warriors shoot into my ASM squad but armor and fnp protect them, one of their blast weapons however scatters unfavorably and takes out 2 scouts. He attempts to shoot some buggy psychic attack at my ASM but the libbies hood shuts it down. His stealers run and then fleet into my Dev's killing all but a single ML totting Dev he bravely passes his moral check and sticks around till next turn. My turn I hop my ASM up and unload their pistols/meltaguns into the Hormaguants and kill off 6, and then assault them w/ the bike. We strike Simultaneously he kills off 2 marines and I wipe his remaining 10 gaunts, then the squad consolidates back 6". My Baal stays put and shoots at the warriors, putting another wound on them. The Dev's dies gruesomely to the stealers who consolidate back to the objective near the building, my scouts move to hold one objective. He's now up 3 to 1.

 

Turn 4

Stealers and HT move eveything else stays put, shooting from his warriors and HT takes out another marine. stealers run back towards the last unheld objective stringing out to try and hold 2 at one (had to mention this little strategy to him ;)). HT out of assault range as are his stealers to my Baal. I move my Baal back 6" and unload into the stealers killing off 5. ASM jump up in front of the HT folowed by the bike. Unload 2 melta and the MM into him causing 2 more wounds (he didn't upgrade the HT's armor at all). ASM and Biker assault the HT, he outs all the HT attacks into the Libby and vaprorizes him easily. My swings back are inefectual, my fist get's a hit and then rolls a 1 to wound so they are locked in. The score is still still 3-1.

 

Turn 5

He attempts to shoot his Termagaunts at my Baal rear armor gets some hits but fails to glance. Warriors still cling to their objective. The HT swings and melts 2 more marines. My swings back arre better this time causing 2 wounds and the PF wounds as well killing off the HT. Consolidate back 4". My turn Baal stays put and pumps rounds into the stealers wiping them out. The ASM and Bike move up and shoot the Warriors puting another wound on them, and then assault. @ warriors are killed off and the 3rd is left with 1 wound. The game is tied 1 to 1 with one objective contested. He rolls a 2 and the game ends.

 

All in all a lot of fun for both of us I think. He got a pretty decent introduction into 40k and I got to enjoy a game with a good friend. He was a little disheartened by how few models he had left but I think that will motivate him to be a little more sneaky next time. He was dead set on just rushing across the board towards me, and didn't take cover into consideration. This was his first time writing a list up as well so I think he learned a lot about what he does and doesnt like in that department as well. He tooled his warriors out to be shooty over assauly (I'd personally go assaulty but I'm pretty unfamilair with the bug's dex), and left a few upgrades off some of his other units he migh have like to have had. He did have toxin sacs (if thats the poison weapon upgrade) on most every model which he liked. Overall I think he will get much better very quickly and the next game should be a much harder fought one. thanks for your comments everyone and sorry for the incredibly long batrep.

 

Ryb

[the jeske]

you know that warriors [as everything else in the nid dex] doesnt have ID immunity . so every melta/MM/fist hit is a kill.

 

tell him to drop warriors the warrior build was always weaker and withe the pod change it died a sad death . go for either a breeder build or a more MC hvy one . tell him to buy 6 thropes , hive guard may be an ok upgrade. he needs at least two tervigons and 16 more of each guant type [if he wants to do 50/50 otherwise go for 60 idetical as base of an army]. tell him to not take a brood lord. it costs too much for what it does and it doesnt really help stealers much considering they already lose hth against most sm . its better to have one more squad then two squads with brood lord each.

 

all in all , as always a sad day to play nids no matter what points are played.

[Rybnick]

THanks for the info Jeske I'll pass it along! He did get to chat with our local Nid player at the shop last night for a good log while, which I think was helpful. He doesn't have a codex yet (it's in the mail still) so had to borrow the shop's copy to write his list and play from, I think once he gets that and is able to read through it a few times he will start seeing how things gel together. He bought the battle force so he is somewhat limited in what models he has to play with. I think other than the battle force he bought a zoanthrope and mawlok box. Anyway he seemed to enjoy the game and has already requested a rematch next week so now I have something to look forward too!

[Brother Kovash]

Glad to hear you guys had a fun first game. My first game consisted of me getting destroyed by the Marines from the Assault on Black Reach set. I was using the Orks, of course.

 

In the future, you should let him use a mycetic spore proxy, and maybe outflank/infiltrate the genestealers, so he learns a few rules here and there.

 

Finally, make sure he tries out Paroxysm with his Hive Tyrant. Downright brutal when used against assault oriented troops.

[Rybnick]

He did try and use Paroxysm, but too bad for him my Libby's hood blocked it. I don't think he was aware of outflanking for this game but I'll be sure and mention it to him as a good tactic for future games.

 

I intentionaly didn't thrown in any outflanking/deepstriking in an effort to keep things simple. I think the only USR's I tossed at him were Fleet, Move through cover, and a scout move.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Great job bringing your friend into an exciting first round of awesome action. Very nice indeed. :(

[thundrchickn]

if he is planning on staying with an assaulty army he NEEDS to put wings on that HT. It can better maneuver in or behind cover as it progresses towards his enemies and can get them in there quick. Outflank/run/charge with stealeers when they come in then swoop your HT out of cover into melee with the Stealer/broodlord squad means death.

 

I disagrea with taking 6 zoans. I do think if your gonna take 1 you should take 2 but hive guard are great for advancing behind a horde of advancing gaunts. Gives them cover and 2 S8 shots a piece is nice.

 

Finding a GOOD nids player to learn from is the best way to make sure your friend really enjoys they game and when he improves you'll be forced to improve.

[Drachnon]

Hmm against beginners I would try fielding 2 full squads of tactical marines and a predator (can be a baal pred) then add a captain as HQ choice. No complicated things is better when playing against beginners since they can't be expected to know what all your units special abilities are. If all your marines are just marines with a few special weapons and a tank everything will be easy to understand and you can replace the tactical marines with more rule heavy choices as you progress.