Help Against Tyranids

[Lithiticus]

So I'm taking part in a Fall Escalation League in my area, and it's the final week. I'm playing Blood Angels. My cousin is also playing, and every time I've fought his Tyranid list I've been destroyed. We are at 2000 points. I can't change my list, he can't change his. My list is as follows:

Battalion Detachment

HQ

Terminator Captain (Storm Bolter, Power Fist)

Sanguinary Priest (Chainsword, Grav Pistol)

 

Troops

Intercessor Squad (5-man, Bolt Rifle) x3

 

Fast Attack

Inceptor Squad (Assault Bolters)

 

Heavy Support

Hellblasters (5-man, Plasma Incinerator)

Land Raider (Twin Heavy bolter, Twin Lascannonx2)

 

Vanguard Detachment

HQ

Dante

Sanguinor

 

Elite

Sanguinary Guard (4-man, Death Mask, 2 Axe, 2 Sword, 1 Inferno Pistol)

Sanguinary Ancient (Death Mask, Sword)

Vanguard Vets (Sergeant has Shield and Relic Blade, 2x Shield and Thunder Hammer, 2x Dual Lightning claws)

 

 

His list (He shared it with me, I think to psyche me out)

 

Spearhead Detachment +1CP (Tyranids) [49 PL, 948pts] ++

 

Hive Fleet: Kronos

 

+ HQ [5 PL, 140pts] +

 

Malanthropes [5 PL, 140pts]: Malanthrope [140pts]

 

+ Troops [12 PL, 160pts] +

Termagants [6 PL, 80pts]: 20x Termagant (Fleshborer) [80pts]

Termagants [6 PL, 80pts]: 20x Termagant (Fleshborer) [80pts]

 

+ Elites [13 PL, 288pts] +

Hive Guard [13 PL, 288pts]

. Hive Guard [48pts]: Impaler Cannon [30pts]

. Hive Guard [48pts]: Impaler Cannon [30pts]

. Hive Guard [48pts]: Impaler Cannon [30pts]

. Hive Guard [48pts]: Impaler Cannon [30pts]

. Hive Guard [48pts]: Impaler Cannon [30pts]

. Hive Guard [48pts]: Impaler Cannon [30pts]

 

+ Heavy Support [19 PL, 360pts] +

Biovores [4 PL, 72pts]: 2x Biovore [72pts]

Biovores [4 PL, 72pts]: 2x Biovore [72pts]

Exocrine [11 PL, 216pts]

 

++ Battalion Detachment +3CP (Tyranids) [28 PL, 418pts] ++

 

Hive Fleet: Kraken

 

+ HQ [8 PL, 140pts] +

Neurothrope [4 PL, 70pts]

Neurothrope [4 PL, 70pts]

 

+ Troops

Genestealers [16 PL, 212pts]: 4x Acid Maw, 4x Flesh Hooks [8pts]

. 17x Genestealer [204pts]: 17x Rending Claws [34pts]

Ripper Swarms [2 PL, 33pts]: 3x Ripper Swarm [33pts]

Ripper Swarms [2 PL, 33pts]: 3x Ripper Swarm [33pts]

 

++ Battalion Detachment +3CP (Tyranids) [42 PL, 634pts] ++

 

Hive Fleet: Kraken

 

+ HQ [22 PL, 368pts] +

Hive Tyrant [11 PL, 184pts]: Monstrous Rending Claws, Two Devourers with Brainleech Worms [14pts], Wings [2 PL, 27pts]

Hive Tyrant [11 PL, 184pts]: Monstrous Rending Claws, Two Deathspitters with Slimer Maggots [14pts], Wings [2 PL, 27pts]

+ Troops

Genestealers [16 PL, 200pts]: 4x Acid Maw, 4x Flesh Hooks [8pts]

. 16x Genestealer [192pts]: 16x Rending Claws [32pts], 16x Scything Talons

Ripper Swarms

Ripper Swarms

 

Copied that from Battlescribe, cleaned it up in a hurry

 

He always castles up his exocrine with hive guard surrounding it, then termagants surrounding that. He makes big circles, just big enough to prevent deep striking, but just small enough to make sure I'm in range of everything if I come too close. then he charges with his genestealers and swoops around smiting with hive tyrants.

 

So how should I play this? Any advice is appreciated. Remember, lists are not allowed to be changed. Game is this Saturday morning.

[CrystalSeer]

So, without changing your list, I think he probably has you beat. The reasons being: He has more board control than you in the form of numbers, higher shot volume, and a harder close combat presence.

 

That being said, never give up, never surrender! If I were to take on this scenario, the first thing I'd notice is that most of his shooting will have a very hard time with that land raider. I'd keep the sanguiniary guard hidden or in reserves, and push forward with the land raider as much as I could get away with.  Use it to hold objectives and force the enemy to come to you with his heavy hitters. Keep your troops in the back to camp objectives and provide supporting fires. Best case scenario is if you can do this far enough away or out of line of site to avoid his shooty castle.

 

Then, when he commits with his genestealers/  hive tyrants to take out the raider, counter assault with the Sanguiniary guard, Land Raider Fire, and fire units that you've hidden away in the back. If you can knock out the tyrants and genestealer blobs, you will have swung the battle in your favor.

 

From there, push forward with armor and use remaining troops to hold objectives and pick off stragglers.

 

It will be a hard fight from beginning to finish, but I wish you the best of luck.

[Lithiticus]

Thanks. I figured I'd blob my battallion as far from his castle as possible with captain and sanguinary priest in the middle to buff/rez fallen troops. I like your suggestion with the land raider.

Was also planning to leave vanguard in reserve for as long as possible.

[Lithiticus]

So I did lose the game. But I felt good that I killed an entire battalion, and both flyrants in the game. I fought to the bitter end, only calling it quits when I was left with only the Sanguinor left on the table.

[Gentlemanloser]

I've started losing every match to our Nids player now, after beating him in every match prior to Codex release.

 

As a GK player, he beats me in the Psychic Phase, has more Smites than I do (at full strength, compared to my 12" damage 1...), makes me auto fail Psychic casts with a 1CP strat, counters my Chapter Tactic +1 cast with Shadows -1, and deals me d3 mortal wounds when I fail due to his Warlord Trait.

 

On top of that he has Tervigons / Kronos to reroll 1s for his 90 S4 shot Gaunts, and uses 2 CP to  let them shoot a second time.

 

There's very little I have that can withstand 180 S4 shots...

 

Plus with my shooting being max S7, I have very little that can deal with his Exocrines/Tryanofexes/Tervigons T8.

 

Large Stealer units cross the board with impunity, and eat whatever they reach in CC.

 

Then there's Malenthropes that spam Smite (and regen wounds) better than Malefic Lords.

 

Oh and his 3o Gaunt, 90 S4 shot units are all immune to Moral, due to Synapse.  And you though Commisars with Conscripts was bad...  Conscripts don't have 180 S4 shots.

 

I see no way of my having a remotely even match versus him now, and little hope of beating him unless I have a game where RNG all goes my way, and not his.

 

Oh well.  Great to see that 8th is the more playtested and balanced edition of 40k so far...