Competitive 40k tactics and Battle Reports with the Tyranid Codex

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

1850 ATC practice Tyranids vs the Punisher(s)

Ok, day 4 of my week of Battle Reports! I challenged my opponent from my previous game to a rematch, using his Astra Militarum. This time, he knew my list in advance and knew what was and was not effective against me.



The Mission:

The ATC missions are pretty simple. 6 missions possible, two each of the various deployment types. Then, 3 Primary objectives, each worth 8 points or 4 for a draw. Kill Points, Emperors Will, and Capture and Control. Each secondary objective is 2 points, for a maximum of 30 available. 

We roll on the chart, and the game will be played as Dawn of War deployment, with no Night Fight. 

My Army List:

Flyrant, Devourers, Electroshock Grubs
Flyrant, Devourers, Electroshock Grubs
30 gants
Tervigon, Electroshock Grubs
3 Rippers 
Venomthrope
Crone, Cluster Spines
Crone, Cluster Spines
3 Biovores

Bastion, Void Shield, 3 Defense Lines

Allied Detachment: Come the Apocalypse: 

Imperial Knight Errant

Astra Militarum Army List: 

Pask, 2 tank Command Squad (All Punisher/3x Heavy Bolters)
Platoon Command Squad
Platoon Infantry Squad
Platoon Infantry Squad 
Heavy Weapons team (3x Lascannons)
Veterans Squad (3 Meltas) 
2 Punishers with Heavy Bolters
Vendetta
Vendetta
3 Hyrdas
3 Scout Sentinels, Lascannons


Warlord trait: Hive Tyrant: Reroll reserves Pask: Preferred Enemy Tyranids

Psychic Powers: 

Flyrant 1: Paroxysm, Psychic Shriek
Flyrant 2: Catalyst, Onslaught 
Tervigon: Warp Lance

Perspective: My Opponents table edge will be top, mine will be bottom. 

Deployment Tyranids: I finally win the roll off, and deploy first. My Bastion is very central, with all of my Flyers around it. Knight takes my left Flank, while I put my gants on the left as well, bunched up behind the defense lines. 

Deployment AM: His Paskisher squad is centered with his second Punisher unit to my left. Both the Las Sentinels and HWT are on my right in ruins. His Hydras are against his board edge with a commanding view over the table, his PCS in front of them. One Platoon squad is in a ruins to the far top left, on an objective. The Veterans and PIS are both in Vendettas in reserve. (NOTE: My opponent forgot that Vendettas have a 6 man capacity now, as did I.) 

Turn 1 Astra Militarum: I choose to go second. My opponent moves a little bit and then fires. His Pask squad takes two wounds off of a Flyrant, while the other Russ squad guns down some gants. A single Sentinel has range to my Knight, but manages to take off three Hull Points. Crap! His Hydras chip in but don't take any wounds. Thanks the Hive for a 2++ cover save on all my Flyers! 

Turn 1 Tyranids: I get up off the ground and strafe his tanks. My main focus is his Scout sentinels, and both Flyrants combine to take them out for First Blood and a Kill Point. I also take a hull point off of one of Pasks tanks. My Knight takes two hull points off of a Russ in the other squadron, while my Biovores kill a random PCS guy. 

Kill Point Counter: Tyranids: 1 Astra Militarum: 0

Turn 2 Astra Militarum: He again focuses fire on the wounded Tyrant, who is Airborn. Thanks to Feel no Pain and Paroxysm on the Hydras, he takes a single wound. A single Vendetta comes in and takes one Hull point off the Knight. 

Turn 2 Tyranids: My Knight makes a long charge and assaults the smaller Punisher unit, killing both. My two Hive Tyrants land on the other side of Pasks squad, killing two of them including Pask for Warlord. A Crone flames the Heavy Weapons team to death, while the other flames and templates his Platoon Command Squad, killing all but one. 

Kill Point Counter: Tyranids: 3 AM: 0

Turn 3 Astra Militarum: His Vendetta hovers and drops out the Melta Vets. They target and finish off my Knight, losing 7 in the explosion. His Second Vendetta comes in and kills my non Warlord Flyrant. 

Kill Point Counter: Tyranids: 3 Astra Militarum: 2

Turn 3 Tyranids: My last Flyrant kills two Hydras, while the Crones finish off the Platoon Command Squad. The Tervigon Warp Lances a Hull Point off the last Russ. Biovores kill the last of the veterans. 

Kill Point Counter: Tyranids: 5 Astra Militarum: 2


Turn 4 Astra Militarum: Both Vendettas maneuver and shoot at my warlord. I survive easily because I am in a ruins and have a good cover save. Both Crones take a few wounds from random fire but survive. 

Turn 4 Tyranids: My Flyrant kills the last Russ, landing in the process. I put a few Hull Points on a Vendetta with Crone Missiles, forcing him to jink, and kill the last Hyrda with a Vector strike. 

Kill Point Counter: Tyranids: 7 Astra Militarum: 2

Turn 5 Astra Militarum: My opponent disembarks his last infantry squad. Both Vendettas shoot at my Flyrant and take his last wound. 

Kill Point Counter: Tyranids: 7 Astra Militarum: 3

Tyranids turn 5: My Crones hit the squad on his far back left, killing 9. The last man falls back (counts as Kill Point) The Biovores and fire from my gants then wipe the last Infantry squad. 

Kill Point Counter: Tyranids: 8 Astra Militarum: 3

My opponent concedes the game at this point. He has 3 models left, one of which will fall off the board soon. The other two can't take objectives because all are positioned at Ground level. He also has no way to catch up to me on Kill Points. 

Final Result: I win Emperor's Will 1-0, I win Crusade 3-0, and I win Purge the Emperor 9-3. I have also completed First Blood, Linebreaker and Slay the Warlord, while my opponent also slew my Warlord.

Tyranid Crushing Victory 30-2! 

Post-game: I had my hopes up for this game, but I also had some doubts. I didn't think that 5 Punishers would go down so easily. The Imperial Knight was huge, drawing fire and killing a squadron by himself. He fills a massive hole in the needs of a Tyranid army, especially without using formations. The biggest reason for my victory was the short range of the Punishers. In two turns I was able to get behind them because of how far up they were deployed, and then I was able to tear them apart. The Vendettas were tough, but I didn't bother shooting them. I wanted to focus on the things that could score, and I did. Several of my fellow 40k players had told me that Russ lists would be my weakness... apparently not! 


4 comments:

  1. Another great victory. Good to hear that you didn't have any problems against AV14. I myself am thinking of running a Knight Titan with my bugs for fun.

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  2. Thanks! I think the Knight makes Tyranids much more competitive than either codex can be on its own. He fills the role we need of a heavy assault unit and of killing AV 14 at range, while Tyranid FMCs naturally counter his weakness to Flyers and Psykers. He also has skewed target priority tremendously, my FMCs are living so much longer than they did before I included him!

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  3. seems the only way to fight a dual land raider list right?. One noob question, why you can use the knight with tiranids (sure there is some suplement 7th rule or something... but I am too outdated...).

    enjoying your reports so far.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Imperial Knights are now "Come the Apocalypse" Allies with Tyranids. This means that they can't be deployed within 12", and when within 6" follow the One eye open rule. But, in 7th edition every army can ally with another on some level.

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