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!