Unsurprisingly I'm using eldar again, I'm starting to get board of
them but they still aren’t painted so I got to carry on. Anyway I digress, this
weeks battle report is a game against tyranids, 1500 points, Big guns never
tier, vanguard strike. Can I beat the bugs? Read and find out...
Eldar 1500
Avatar – 155 (Warlord – nothing useful)
Farseer – 130
Spirit stones, runes of warding, Mind war, guide (swapped for
Misfortune and forewarn)
20 guardians – 215
Warlock, conceal, scatter laser
8 Dire avengers – 96
8 Dire avengers – 96
6 Fire dragons – 96
Wave serpent – 120
Spirit stones, twin linked shurikan cannon, shurikan cannon
6 Fire dragons – 96
Wave serpent – 120
Spirit stones, twin linked shurikan cannon, shurikan cannon
3 vypers – 180
2x shurikan cannon
5 shining spears – 197
Exarch, skilled rider
The basic idea of my army was for the avatar to hold the centre with
the guardians and dire avengers while the vypers and wave serpents go down a
flank taking out the enemy, allowing me to take out the weakest part of the
enemy army. That’s provided I go first, if I go second I will reserve that side
of the army and do the same a few turns later.
Tyranids 1500
Hive tyrant – 235
Armoured shell, heavy venom cannon, lash whip and bone sword (biomancy
– warp speed + another)
2 tyrant guard – 120
Warriors – 180
Sything talons, devourers
Spore – 40
10 gaunts – 100
Devourers
Tervigons – 180
Catalyst, toxin sacs, spine cluster
Harpy – 170
Heavy venom cannon
Trygon – 200
Tyrannofex – 265
Rupture cannon
That’s a lot of big creatures... again. I need to find a way to take
them out other than dragons. Hopefully I will do better than last time I played
against nid-zilla. I will have to take what I learnt last time, they are slow,
so try to focus on the objectives and avoid the beasts if at all possible.
 |
| Tyranid deployment |
We rolled for mission and get big
guns never tier with the vanguard strike deployment. A different set up to last
time so its new and I was quite exited at the prospect. My opponent wins the
roll to go first so sets up quite aggressively, keeping the Trygon and harpy in
reserve. I then set up with my avatar in the centre with my infantry. I keep my
vehicles in reserve so they don’t get shot down first turn from the sheer
number of templates. I decided to roll to steal the initiative and some how get
it... so I go first. That’s a nice surprise.
 |
| Eldar deployment |
Eldar turn 1
With half of my army in reserve there wasn’t much I could do. I cast
forewarn on the guardians (makes conceal a bit pointless). The avatar
spearheads the attack flanked by dire avengers and guardians. The other unit of
dire avengers holds the objective on the rocky outcrop. The shining spears move
up the left flank.
Shooting phase started with the spears turbo boosting but the
guardians failed to wound the hive tyrant with their scatter laser. And that
was my first turn.
Tyranids turn 1
The Tervigon spawns some gaunts for the first time (and last thank
god) with 15 little buggers appearing with a double 6 appearing. But it was
something I didn’t expect, I totally forgot they could do that, so they gaunts
moved and where scarily close to my bikes. I didn’t expect them to live very
long. The Tervigon then follows the buggers towards them. The old gaunts hold
their ground on the objective while the rest of the army moves towards me.
The new gaunts shoot at the spears and manage to kill 3 of my bikes
including the Exarch after a bad look out sir roll (bad placement by me). The
Tervigon shoots its spine clusters at my guardians but luckily it scatters way
off into no where. The tyrant shoots at the avatar but scatters as well.
However it tyrannofex hits the avatar dead on with two shots but I make one of
the two saves. The old gaunts then shoot at the avatar and manage to slip a
single wound past its armour. So my warlord is down to 2 wounds... not good.
 |
| we proxyed gaunts from the tervigon |
Eldar turn 2
Rolling for reserves both the wave serpents come in on the right
flank, I was planning on getting the dragons out next turn to kill the
tyrannofex. I attempt to cast misfortune on the hive tyrant but he ‘denies the
witch’, damn, the guardians are then forewarned. The guardians move forward to
help out the spears from the gaunts, 15 is too many for two of the bikers to
handle. The avatar moves towards the hive tyrant while the avengers stay behind
of him, not entirely sure what to do. The bikes move slightly towards the gaunts,
ready to pounce on them.
Both wave serpents fire at the gaunts holding the objective in my
opponents deployment, managing to take out 5 of the bugs. The guardians target
the other gaunts and take down 6, supported by the bikes who claim a further 1.
Combat starts as the shining spears charge the gaunts killing 2
(hammer of wrath did nothing). The gaunts attack back and some how kill one (i forgot they gain benefits from the tervigon). I
win combat but I'm not going to win that, and probably give up first blood.
That was a bad move me... bad move.
Tyranids turn 2
Both of the monstrous creatures in reserve appear... that’s not great
for me. The Trygon deep strikes behind my lines but scatters away 9 inches
towards the board edge, but still on it. The harpy moves up the right hand
side, hunting my serpents. All the monsters move towards the eldar. The hive
tyrant casts war speed on himself (but gets a perils with double 1) taking a
wound, but gets +3 attacks and initiative. The Tervigon moves towards the
guardians intent on charging them this turn.
The old gaunts shoot at the avengers in the centre but fail to get any
wounds past their armour. The harpy shoots at one of the wave serpents but
bounces off the hull. The tyrannofex also opens up on the wave
serpents but thanks to the force field nothing happens. The Tervigon shoots at
the guardians, hitting 8 but only killing 3 (thank god for 4+ invul). The hive
tyrant shoots at the avatar but the shot scatters and hits the poor guardians
killing two more of them.
Charges are declared and the Tervigon roars at the guardians who go
into over watch, but I fail to do any wounds to it. But... rolling for charge
distance, the Tervigon appears to be out of range by 1 inch. That was damn
lucky. The hive tyrant charges the avatar in a warlord fight. The hive tyrant
smashes the avatar but failed to deal any wounds. The guards deal a wound to
the avatar who deals a single wound to the guards. Why I didn’t just challenge
the hive tyrant I don’t know... a bit of a mistake on my part. The new gaunts
murder the bike in combat... first blood to the tyranids (1-0).
Eldar turn 3
The vypers come in this turn on the right hand flank, close to the
harpy. The Farseer attempts to forewarn the guardians again and misfortune the
Tervigon but thanks to shadow in the warp all my psychic powers are shut down
this turn. The wave serpents drop off the fire dragons by the tyrannofex while
the dire avengers on the rock out crop move to avoid the Trygon but still be in
range of it. The other dire avengers move to be in range of the old guants. The
guardians, powerless, move towards the new gaunts.
Shooting starts with the vypers shooting at the harpy, from 18 shots
only 1 of them hits but fail to wound. Looking at the rules, flying monsters
that are HIT not wounded must take a grounding test. That’s a little odd but we
went with it. He failed the roll so the best plummets to the floor taking a
wound. Now its grounded the wave serpents open up on the harpy managing to deal
enough wounds to it to reduce it to 1 wound... but not kill it. Irritating. The
fire dragons shoot at the tyrannofex and deal 4 wounds to it, leaving it on 2.
The dire avengers kill the remaining gaunts on the objective while the other
group shoot at the Trygon but the shots fail to do anything. The guardians also
finish off the new gaunts.
Combat is quick, the hive tyrant smashes the avatar back to the
craftworld core... kill the warlord (2-0).
Tyranids turn 3
The tyranid warriors spore pod comes in by the fire dragons, jumping
out ready to dakka my dragons to death. The harpy goes for a vector strike on
the dragons managing to kill 4, but it also drops its spore mines which kill a
dragon from each unit. The tyrant casts warp speed again, gaining +2, and it
casts it with out trouble. The tyrannofex moves further forward as does the
Trygon looking for meat.
 |
| The large base is the spore pob |
Shooting phase and the harpy runs, attempting to move off the table
but just misses the table edge. The Trygon shoots at the dire avengers on the
rocky outcrop but I pass my saves. The Tyranofex hits a wave serpent twice and
gets two penetrating hits, 1 is saved thanks to jink but the other shakes the
tank. The Tervigon shoots at the guardians and kills 4 and wounds the Farseer.
The warriors shoot the larger dragon unit killing 3, reducing them to two
models.
Combat and the tyrant charges the dire avengers just in front of it,
but over watch deals a single wound to the tyrant. The dire avengers lose 7
models in combat and run, getting cut down. The Trygon also kills 7 models from
the dire avengers who run getting cut down as well. Not a good turn to be a
dire avenger.
Eldar turn 4
The Farseer fails to forewarn
the guardians again thanks to shadow in the warp. However I manage to
misfortune the Tervigon, let’s see how useful this power is. The shaken wave
serpent moves out of the line of fire. The vypers move to shoot at the
warriors, as does the working wave serpent. The fire dragons move close to the
warriors, at the one closest to the vypers so hopefully, if I kill one it will
be removed and the dragons will have a clear view to the tyrannofex. The
guardians move towards the misfortune Tervigon, aiming to get as many in range
to down it thanks to misfortune.
Shooting and the guardians manage to get 16 shots on the Tervigon and
get 6 wound rolls, and thanks to the dice gods smiling on me 3 of those wound
the monster, reducing it to 3 wounds. The wave serpents shoot at the warriors
but do nothing. The vypers also shoot at them, dealing 6 wounds, so the two
closest die, leaving the dragons open to shoot at the tyrannofex. The fire
dragons manage to kill the tyrannofex with their two shots. The single dragon
misses the pod, it would have been useful insta killing it.
Combat phase, the guardians charge the Tervigon, managing to smash the
farseer to death with a well times precision strike. It’s cinematic but
unfortunate. The guardians however manage to deal a single wound to the
monster. I lose combat by 1 and run, but escape. The Tervigon moves 3 inches
after them.
Tyranids turn 4
The harpy flies off the table, entering ongoing reserve as the
Tervigon moves forward out of the forest. The Tervigon gives feel no pain to
the tyrant and his unit. The hive tyrant then moves up behind the guardians
ready to charge them. The Trygon moves to claim the objective on the rock out
crop.
Shooting and the spore kills the fire dragon in front of it as the
warriors shoot the other dragons.
Combat and the hive tyrant charge the guardians who fail to regroup so
are destroyed. Damn.
Eldar turn 5
The vypers and wave serpents combine their fire and manage to kill two
more warriors.
Tyranids turn 5
The warriors run from the eldar vehicles and claim the objective in
the ruins.
We roll and the game ends turn 5. We add up points and the score
ended...
Eldar 0 – Tyranids – 11
Quite a dramatic loss for me.
Yer, I have a difficulty with nid-zilla it seems. Last edition I did,
and this edition I do apparently as well. The game was really fun with ups and
down but ultimately a crushing defeat for me. So what did I learn?
·
Positioning is vital: the way I position my
models in my unit is key, losing my exarchs and putting wounds on independent
characters (even with the +2 LOS) is bad. I need to make sure this doesn’t
happen again. But on the flip side the positioning of my vypers where useful
for removing models obstructing the line of fire for the dragons. Placing my
fast vehicles in key places might help in the future.
·
Psychic powers: the new powers are nice, but I
miss knowing what I will have. I might go back to just using eldar powers for a
few games, or take a second Farseer. Yer, I think I will drop the avatar and
take a second Farseer.
·
Fast vehicles: are still awesome, I'm loving
them more each game.
·
List: I need more low ap weapons, maybe some
star cannons or missile launchers. Just having dragons isn’t cutting it. At
least it didn’t this game.
So that’s it for this week. I'm going on holiday now, so next week I
have another battle report lines up for you so make sure your back next Friday
to read it.
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