With an hour remaining before the store closed, a Tyranid player wanted to see what we could get in for a game. We went with a simple KP match on the same ruin laden board I just finished playing on. My list is the same as that
listed in this thread.
His list:
HQSwarmlord
- Tyrant Guard (3)
Maleceptor
TROOPSHormagaunts (30)
Warriors (3) [don't know the loadout as it never came into play]
ELITEZoanthropes (3) w/ Neurothrope
FAST ATTACKHive Crone
HEAVY SUPPORTCarnifex Brood (2) [don't know the loadout as it never came into play]
He won the right to go first. He deployed aggressively, placing everything up to the front of his deployment zone (we played long board edges), w/ his Maleceptor tucked behind ruins on the right side of the board. The Swarmlord and Tyrant Guard were front and center down a main road running vertically down the center of the board.
I rolled on the Light Table and got the +4 to my Steal the Initiative roll, which made him very displeased. I deployed much like I did in the other game, with the exception being that I put the Solitaire behind LoS blocking terran 14" E of the Maleceptor, the Lone SS (telepathy this time) 16" SSE of the Solitaire's position, and the DJ on the clear other side of the board in my half of the board behind LoS blocking ruin terrain.
Of course, I roll a 1 to steal.
TURN 1TyranidsIn Movement, he Swoops the Hive Crone 24" SSE down the road to get close to my forward advanced Kiss Troupe that was exposed because I made the silly assumption I would steal. The rest of his army advanced forward 6", excepting the Maleceptor that moved 5" E through difficult terrain towards the Solitaire's hidden position.
In the Psychic Phase, he gets off
Catalyst on the Zoans and Swarmlord unit. He tries to Paroxysm the Kiss Troupe, but because they are within 12" of the Warlord Troupe's SS with Laughing God's Eye, I easily Deny it. He also tries to get off
The Horror, which I also Deny. He gets off
Dominion on his Swarmlord.
In Shooting, the Hive Crone shoots the template at the Kiss Troupe, killing two and putting a wound on the DJ attached to them. Everything else runs, including the Maleceptor that runs 5" SE, angling towards what I thought was the window S of the Solitaire so it could see it next turn.
No Assaults.
HarlequinsIn Movement, I advance the Voidweavers 12" NNW to get w/in 20" of the Swarmlord unit. The Skyweavers tuck in behind them. The Warlord Troupe moves 6" NW to get within 6" of the Hive Crone's base. The Kiss Troupe moves 6" NW to address the advancing Hormagaunt Brood. The Starweaver advances 12" to tuck behind a ruin facing the Hive Crone due E 5" away. The Mask SS moves 6" NW to get within 12" of the Maleceptor. I forget to move the lone DJ on the other side of the board due to hurrying.
In Psychic Phase, the Kiss Troupe gets off
Veil of Tears. The Warlord's Troupe does not. The Mask SS gets off
Psychic Shriek on the Maleceptor, causing 1 Wound to it.
In Shooting, the Mask SS runs back 5" to where it was before. I realize that I can't Run and Charge the Hormagaunts, so I run 3" E to get behind a ruin and prevent the Carnifexes to see them to charge them. Between the Warlord Troupe, Starweaver and embarked Caress Troupe, I put 3 Wounds on the Hive Crone, which then fails its Grounding test (no wound hitting the ground). The Voidweavers manage to put 1 Wound on a Tyrant Guard.
In Assault, the Warlord Troupe charges the Hive Crone (forgets to do Overwatch). They get off 8 HoW hits, of which 4 wound. He fails three, killing it and giving me First Blood. I consolidate 5" E to get to the other side of a ruin in order to force the Swarmlord unit to go at I1 should he successfully charge them.
SCOREHarlequins: 2
Tyranids: 0
TURN 2TyranidsHe gives the Hormagaunts Furious Charge from the Swarmlord. The Hormagaunts advance on the Kiss Troupe's position. The Swarmlord moves 6" S to get within 7" of the forwardmost Warlord Troupe member (the Shadowseer). The Maleceptor advances 6" SE to accost the Mask SS. Everything else just marches straight forward for me.
In the Psychic Phase, the Maleceptor tries to get off
Psychic Overload but I Deny it. The Swarmlord tries to get off
Paroxysm on the Warlord Troupe but again I Deny it. I let him get off
Catalyst on the Zoans and Swarmlord unit. I deny
Psychic Leech on the Warlord Troupe. He gets off
Dominion on his Swarmlord.
In Shooting, he runs his Carnifex Brood so their an 1" on the N side of the ruin wall behind which my Kiss Troupe and Starweaver stand. The Maleceptor runs 5" SE towards the Mask SS. The Zoans run 4" to get behind the Swarmlord and closer to the Voidweavers. The Warriors run 5" S to keep pace with the Hormagaunts.
In Assault, he rolls 6" for the Hormagaunts, getting them into CC with my Kiss Troupe. The Swarmlord rolls a 6 for its charge on the Warlord Troupe, failing to engage. In the Hormagaunt combat, The Troupe Master, SS and Players kill 7. He kills 4. I win but he's Fearless. I roll a 6 for Hit & Run so I'm stuck.
HarlequinsIn Movement, my Starweaver moves 6" NE towards the Swarmlord unit and the Caress Troupe disembarks 6" forward so their 5" away. The Warlord Troupe moves 6" N to close distance on the Swarmlord Troupe but not block LoS for the Voidweavers, which move 6" NW for a clearer shot. The Skyweavers advance 12" N while facing the Maleceptor. As this will be the last turn, the Solitaire declares Blitz and advances on the Maleceptor's position. The Mask SS also comes out to engage with the Maleceptor.
In Psychic Phase, I focus only on the Swarmlord unit. I get off
Laugh of Sorrows and make the BS check. He passes the first test but "fails" the second by 2, which kills one Tyrant Guard and wounds another.
In shooting, the Caress Troupe deals 6 wounds to the Swarmlord unit with its Neuro-disruptors, killing the last two Tyrant Guard and putting 3 wounds on the Swarmlord.
As the store's about to close, I decide to finish off the Swarmlord in CC, charging it with both the Warlord and Caress Troupes. Four Embrace models get into base contact for 9 HoW, it fails 1, reducing it to 1 Wound left. The Caress Troupe Master, Warlord and SS chime in to cause the last wound at I7.
We call the game there.
Final Score:Harlequins: 5 (First Blood, Slay the Warlord, 3 units killed: Hive Crone, Swarmlord, Tyrant Guard)
Tyranids: 0 (though we didn't do the Hormagaunt combat at all)
CONCLUSIONSHard to base any conclusions out of this, though two things really stood out in this micro battle:
- Laughing God's Eye was HUGE in this game. I'm a total believer in this Enigma. Well worth the points, especially against a Psychically charged army like Tyranids. May be wasted in all-comers against Tau, Necrons and the like, but I'm willing to lose those points in those situations if I wind up facing Psykers elsewhere.
- The Caress unit with its Neuro-disruptors is a great elite killer. What they did to the Swarmlord unit before assaulting was extremely impressive. Against aggressive armies it's a boon to have that waiting in the wings.
My opponent would like to play a non-rushed game sometime. I'm sure I'll see a different list tailored to deal with me better in the future. We'll see how that goes.
