Thursday, April 19, 2012

40k Battle Report - Blood Angels vs Tyranids

Art Source Deviantart
This week, Mike and I got together and played a practice game for the upcoming 2250 point 40k tournament at Gamer's Sanctuary on April 28th. I brought my Blood Angels to face off against his Tyranids. I have been playing in a lot of 1850 point tournament lately so 2250 felt like a lot of points. I didn't really make the most optimized list possible from my available models, but I was in the mood for Termies+Land Raider so I built up a list from that death star. Highlights and pictures after the break.
Blood Angels and their Fast Bawkses
2250 Blood Angels
HQ Librarian in Terminator armor+storm shield (Shield of Sanguinius, Sanguine Sword)
El Sanguinary Priest in Terminator armor, Power Weapon
El Furioso Dreadnought with Blood Talons
El 6x Terminator Assault Squad (4 TH/SS) Land Raider Crusader + MM, EA
Tr 5x Assault Squad, PW, Flamer, Razorback TLAC
Tr 5x Assault Squad, Flamer, Razorback TLAC
Tr 5x Assault Squad, Melta, Razorback LasTLPlasma
Tr 10x Assault Squad, x2 Melta, PF
FA Baal Predator, HB sponsons
FA Baal Predator, HB sponsons
Hvy Stormraven, TLMM, TLPlasma Cannon
Hvy, Predator, Lascannon sponsons
Lots of T6 Monstrous Creatures with Guns
2250 Tyranids
HQ Tervigon, Scything Talons 
HQ Warrior Prime  Lash Whip & Bonesword, Scything Talons
El 3x Hive Guard
El 3x Hive Guard
El 3x Venomthrope
Tr Tervigon, Scything Talons
Tr 10x Termagants
Tr 4x Warriors, Scything Talons
Hvy Tyrannofex Rupture Cannon, Cluster Spines, Thorax Swarm
Hvy Tyrannofex Rupture Cannon, Cluster Spines, Thorax Swarm
Hvy 3x Carnifex TL Devourer w/Brainleech Worms x2

Four Objectives placed
We rolled up a standard mission, Seize Ground (4 objectives) with Spearhead deployment.
After placing the objectives, Mike won the roll to go first and put his whole army on the table.
I deployed in the opposite corner then rolled for Red Thirst (got three units!).  I split the 10 man squad and put half in the ruins objective and the others in the Stormraven with the Furioso.  After doing my scout moves with the Baal predators, I failed to steal the initiative.
Tyranid Setup
Blood Angels Setup
Tyranids Turn 1
Mike moved forward and his both his Tervions made 10+ Gaunts each.  The Tyrannofexs lead the way around the center ruins and setup to fire. I rolled perils on Shield of Sanguinius, but made both invuln saves to avoid a wound on my Librarian. Two strength 10 shots hit the Stormraven immobilizing it and taking off the plasma cannon. Oops, that's what I get for starting it on the board going second. Not much else shooting for nids, but Mike does run his Carnifex brood forward.
Sadface - Stormraven got immobilized right away

Assault jam in the ruins
Blood Angels Turn 1
I move the Land Raider forward and disembark the Terminators but leave the Libby and Priest inside. I disembark the Furioso and assault squad from the immobilized SR. I focus fire my army on the lead Tyrannofex and end up putting three wounds on it from Assault cannons, lascannons, etc. Mike was doing a good job keeping the big guys in cover the whole game and was making me work. My Terminators assault the Carnifexes and take them out. I lose two terminators and regroup to stay within the FNP bubble.
Assault terminators holding the line
Tyranids Turn 2
Mike moved the mass of monsters forward and again both Tervigons made a bunch of gaunts. The Tyranids were rolling pretty good with their shooting. The Tyrannofex's in particular were popping Baal Predators and his Hive guard blew up one of my Razorbacks. He did shoot a lot at the terminators and I was rolling good with the armor saves. Feel no pain helped too. He assaulted the Terminators with gaunts. I won combat but stayed locked in with the fearless termigaunts.
Blood Angels Turn 2
I move my Furioso up to help take out the Termigaunts locked in combat with the Terminators. My shooting puts wounds on one of the Tervigons and finish off the wounded Tyrannofex. I win the assault with the Termigaunts and consolidate for the next wave of attacks. 
Who says Tyranids can't pop tanks with shooting?
Tyranid Turn 3
More termigaunts are made, though one of the Tervigons finally rolls doubles. Mike still does a good job moving up and using the terrain/venomthrope cover for all his stuff. Some more shooting from his hive guard immobilizes a Razorback, blows up the 2nd Baal predator and immobilizes the Furioso.  More gaunts fight the terminators and I lose a few but still stay in combat.

Blood Angels Turn 3
I have lost a lot of mobility at this point and it's not looking good.  I still have enough firepower to focus and take down one of the Tervigons which in turn takes out a lot of the gaunts in combat with my last terminator.
Tyranids Turn 4
Mike shuffles forward to engage my remaining terminator, Librarian, and Sanguinary priest. I manage to roll good armour and FNP saves and hold the line.
Blood Angels Turn 4
I group up the terminator force and move to push into the hive guard. My jump troops maneuver around the tower for a chance to shoot up then assault the warrior squad. I manage to shoot and kill the 2nd Tyrannofex.  My assault on the hive guard turns into a slap fight since I cannot get Sanguine sword off due to Shadows.


Slap fight - not high enough str to damage Hive Guard
Tyranid Turn 5
Mike seems satisfied at this point with enough gaunts on the table. He moves his remaining Tervigon towards the objective along with the Warrior prime who attaches to a group of gaunts. He assaults the marines in combat with his warriors and the prime takes them out. The fight with the Hive guard and terminators is a stalemate as I still cannot get off the Librarians power.  
Blood Angels Turn 5
Well, I am playing for the tie at this point. I drive my last mobile Razorback through the building and claim a 2nd objective. We will each hold two at the end of turn five. I shoot at the Tervigon and put a few wounds on it. Nothing much in assault as the Terminators still hold. We roll for the game to end, but it continues to turn six.
Tyranids move up reinforcements - Game is tied 2-2 at this point
Tyranid and Blood Angel Turn 6
At this point it's all about the assault between the two close objectives. Neither of use is threatening the back objectives. I continue to shoot at the Tervion and wound it further. The Warrior prime makes it to the combat and brings the venomthropes along. My lightning claw terminator finally drops as well as my Sanguinary priest. The game continues to turn 7.
Terminators finally fall
Tyranid and Blood Angel Turn 7
On the last turn, I tried to get another assault squad into the fight to draw and draw Mike away form contesting the objective I held by assault troops in the Land raider. I was able to kill the remaining Tervigon with shooting, but lost the key assault. Mike was able to consolidate in a way that contested one of two objectives I held. Tyranids win 2-1 on objectives.
Final check for contesting the objective
So it was a good game. Mike played well and used the cover available to keep his big critters alive. Between the Tyrannofexes and hive guard, his shooting was effective at taking out my tanks mobility. I did get good rending rolls with all the assault cannons, but it was still a grind to take down those big monstrous creatures.

Hope you enjoyed the batrep. Comments are welcome.

8 comments:

  1. All in all really fun, epic game. Your terminators advanced very slowly fighting off creature after creature making dozens of saves.

    I will say I feel like this is a tougher list that I made. It is hard to min/max at 2250 points because you need to fill points at some level, but if I were to min/max it - based on this game - I would remove the carnifexes (570 points) replacing that with another tyrannofex (265), a gant squad (50), a tervigon (195), and two more warriors on the warrior squad.

    This would provide more toughness six at 2+ armor save with a huge gun, more tervigon power providing more gants, more FNP, and more synapse. I think if I were to attend the tourney on the 28th I'd do that. I feel like a lot of lists would have troubles with the appropriate amount of cover. The amount of gants I can put on the board is amazing for objective games.

    I was surprised you didn't go for the venomthropes earlier, but I didn't need them as much as I thought I would. You could have pulped a few with ID if you had focus fired them. I managed to use the building in the middle to my advantage to keep my stuff alive.

    It was super close. You made some epic maneuvers to contest that thing right at the end. I think this battle showed to me at least that the independent character rules are sooooooo bad and need to be refined. An independent character can't run into an already engaged close combat? Really goes against the 'epic heroes' feel that GW tries to provide.

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  2. Awesome battle report!

    After slugging it out - what would you change in your 2250 list next time around?

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    1. Well, I think I might drop one of the Baal Predators for another AC/Las one. I really don't want to drop the Furioso, but I could really use some Sternguard for utility against MCs. I dunno, it just seems the list would be more Vanilla than Blood Angels at that point.

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    2. I would say it depends how you define it - you still have small scoring squads with two special weapons, which Vanilla can't get and fast vehicles :)

      I think Furiosos are amazing and I got really lucky stunning him and then immobilizing him. I wouldn't focus on that dude. Do you have three Baal preds? They're my favorite thing about BA.

      Also one thing to keep in mind is it is doubtful you'll face any armies that have nearly as many MCs as I fielded.

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  3. Also I'll have those big Tyranids painted by the May 19th kerfuffle at GS.

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  4. Pure BA madness: 3 Baal Predators, 2 Vindicators and an outflanking/deepstriking Stormraven...

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  5. I should have stuck around and watched the game, looks like it turned out pretty epic. Nice to see the Tyranids pull out the victory - I'll have to study up on the Nid rules and set something up to see how the Black Legion would do against them.

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  6. You're welcome to borrow my Baal and storm Raven for three each, who would see it coming! ? Or my two land raiders for a 4 LR force.

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