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Hi all, I played the first round of the 'Ard Boyz at Rhubarb Games here in Central Florida.

Deciding NOT to play my Orks was a hard decision for me, but I decided to play a variant of my Stealer Shock that took me to Baltimore in the first year of the Ard Boyz.

I played a 'Stealer heavy assault list as follows:

HQ: Hive Tyrant (Lash Whip & Bonesword; Shadow in the Warp; Old Adversary; Stranglethorn Cannon; Paroxysm; Psychic Scream)
Tyrant Guard x 2 (Rending Claws; Lash Whip)
HQ: Tyranid Prime (Boneswords (x2); Rending Claws; Adrenal Glands)
E: Deathleaper
E: Zoanthropes x 3
Mycetic Spore (Barbed Strangler)
E: Hive Guard x 2
FA: Gargoyles x 15
T: Termagants x 10
T: Termagants x 10
T: Genestealers x 12 (Adrenal Glands)
Broodlord (Implant Attack; Adrenal Glands; Scything Talons)
T: Genestealers x 12 (Adrenal Glands)
Broodlord (Implant Attack; Adrenal Glands)
T: Genestealers x 12 (Adrenal Glands)
Broodlord (Implant Attack; Adrenal Glands)
T: Genestealers x 11 (Adrenal Glands)
HS: Tyrannofex (Rupture Cannon; Cluster Spines; Thorax Swarm (larvae))
HS: Biovores x 2

My strategy was to use a long line of Gargoyles in fromt of my forces as a mobile cover save. The 'Goyles can stay ahead of the fastest running 'Stealers and the enemy has to choose between trying to kill 'Stealers with a 4+ cover save, or waste a bunch of firepower shooting the 'Goyles out of the way.

I usually aimed to keep the 11 man 'Stealer squad for outflanking and in most scenarios, I chose to infiltrate with one squad to put it closer to the enemy. The two Gaunt squads are used for objective taking and/or to bury my Prime in to give him 10 ablative wounds.

Scenario One:
Played against a Hybrid Guard list with 4 Chimeras, a Manticore, a pair of Medusas, a pair of Hellhounds, a Leman Executioner and a bunch of lscannons and autocannons to go along with a Psyker Battle Squad and a bunch of guys with flashlights and meltaguns all commanded by Creed and an Inquisitor Lord.

After we placed the objectives, my opponent won the first turn. I was bummed, because he had a lot of templates and a bunch of lascannon and autocannon teams. After set up, I was packed in pretty tight with the cross corner deployment, but I infiltrated one squad of 'Stealers behind some cover on his flank and, since he was going to get first turn, kept two more squads of 'Stealers off board for outflanking. My opponent scouted his Hellhound Squadron forward in position to fry a truly massive number of bugs. (I had forgotten that he could do that.)

I decided to try and steal the initiative and got the six! Things were looking up, since that was going to be one turn less that I was going to have to deal with his pie plates and his Hellhounds were hanging in the breeze for me to assault.

Turn One 'Nid: My Gargoyles led the charge with everything else close behind it. My infiltrating 'Stealers moved through their forest to place themselves in position to charge the next round. My fire phase was poor with my Hive Guard just a hair out of range to fire on his PBS Chimera, but my 'Fex managed to blow up his Command Squads Chimera, and the Tyrant clipped some foot guard. The real heroes, however, were the Biovores, they smashed a TON of infantry and did the same for the rest of the game. Everything that didn't fire ran forward, and I assaulted his pair of Hellhounds with my 'Stealers and only managed to kill one, leaving the other unharmed. (Not good)

Turn One IG: A truly massive amount of pie plates, heavy bolters and autocannons flay my army. My Gargoyles are brought down to three, some 'Stealers are killed, I lose a one Hive Guard and the lascannons manage to put a wound on one of my Tyrant Guard. In his eagerness to shoot the heck out of me, my opponent forgot to move his remaining Hellhound. The HH still smokes half a dozen 'Stealers that are on it. Assault sees my Stealers still in contact with his HH kill it.

Turn Two 'Nid: From reserves, I get both squads of 'Stealers, one on each flank and the Deathleaper, who I place in a forest in the center to take a flank shot at a Chimera. My 'Thropes are nowhere to be found. Lots of moving and running. Between the outflankers on either edge, the infiltrating 'Stealers on one flank and the Hellhound killers on the other side, I pretty much have the entire IG force surrounded by a mess of claws and teeth. I fire some more and manage to knock the missile launcher off the Manticore. My pie plates kill a bunch of Guard, but still fail to pin or break anyone. One the left, I multi assault his Command Squad and some autocannons, as well as the remainder of a Guard infantry platoon. I kill everything but his Commander, who promptly makes his morale check ensuring that my 'Stealers wont have to take any fire next round. My Prime moves backwards to get the Gaunts in synapse so I can stretch them out some.

Turn Two IG: His Inquisitor gets in a nearby Chimera, realizing that he is about to be overrun. His Leman moves a bit and throws a bunch of fire on the other outflanking 'Stealers, attempting to kill them before they assault him. A few pie plates are thrown, but I am VERY close among his people and he has no choice but to fire on the fire support bugs in the back and manages to instagib a Biovore and puts some wounds on the 'Fex. I kill off his Commander and consolidate deeper in his lines.

Turn Three Bugs: Lots of forward movement, lots of assault and a LOT of dead Guard and vehicles. I kill almost everything with a gun and tracks and even manage to explode the Leman after juuust reaching it with half my squad of 'Stealers. I am now sitting with a Gaunt squad stretched between two objectives and the other Gaunts run onto a third. Whats left of my HH slayers are huddled on a fourth objective and I have two squads of 'Stealers and the Deathleaper surrounding the Inquisitor in a crater that was formed when I blew up his Chimera up on top of the fifth objective. We had a 15 minutes remaining time limit called on us near the end of my turn, so off we went to...

Turn Three Guard: My opponent gets his lone reserve Chimera and decides that the only thing he can do is rush forward and try to contest the center objective that is barely held by my Gaunts. His Chimera raced forward and what was left of his army tried to shoot the decimated 'Stealer squad off of one objective. He shoots me down to the Broodlord, but has nothing else left to shoot at them. His Platoon leader gives the special 'run' order to the disembarking squad and they surged forward. Knowing that this is the only objective that matters, we called to TO over to look at it. I locked down the objective with my thumb and my opponent locked his closest unit and we let the TO measure it... three times... with three different rulers. No one could tell if it was a hair on, or a hair off. I was told that the difference was the width of the measuring tape's black line and no one could agree. In the end, we diced for it and I ended up with four objectives and one contested. Massacre + 4 to me (1692 V. P.s killed)\

We both agreed that stealing the initiative was the deciding factor. It allowed me to only have to take one unfettered round of pie plates before I was on him like a wolf in the fold. Looking at it, if the game had gone another turn, I would have tabled him and been holding all five objectives.

Game Two... Stealer Shock vs. DE Raider Spam coming up soon.

Awesome love seeing Nids doing well - i like all the different parts in your list working with a bunch of stealers!!

Game Two... Stealer Shock vs. DE Raider Spam

The list I faced was run by a friend of mine and included WAY too many Raiders, Dark Lances, Wyches, and Ravagers with Disintegrators, Dracon, Archon, and a number of power weapon wielding freaks..

This was one of the 'worst case scenarios' in planning for this event. My list is a bit light on shooting, and relying on 6's to hit fast moving skimmers in HTH is not a way to guarantee a victory. I was hoping that if I had to face this list, it was going to be in the third round, but what can you do.

I win the roll and elect to go first. I put as much forward as I could, I put two squads of 'Stealers in outflanking reserve, hoping that I can make at least one roll of 3+ to put me behind the raider line. I infiltrate one squad in the unused quarter to prevent the Raiders from just flying past my main line. My opponent, having faced my forces before, deploys several squads of warriors outside his Raiders so the inevitable shaken/stun results wont interfere with the firing of their Dark Lances.

Turn One 'Nid: My opponent misses his steal the initiative and I advance everything forward. My fire phase is great as my 'Fex explodes a Ravager, the Hive Guard destroys another raider and my Tyrant kills yet another. My Biovores even smash a squad of Warriors below half and they break off the table. My 'Stealers all move forward and spread out to limit the Emo Elves from running past my lines.

Turn One DE: Although my opponent is really fast, because of terrain and bugs, I limit his ability to just slide past me. He moves laterally to ensure that I'll need 6+ to hit him. Lots of Lance and Disintegrator fire results in a lot of dead Gargoyles, an instagibed Biovore and some wounds on my 'Fex, as well as a number of dead 'Stealers. A squad of Wyches and the Archon with his power weapon buddies both bail out and charge my outflanking 'Stealers and have to charge into the woods to get them. The 'Stealers kill a bunch of Wyches and some of the Archcon's buddies. A lot of 'Stealers die and they actually lose combat and take some no retreat wounds since they are in synapse.

Turn Two 'Nid: If things could go well, they did. I get my 'Thropes, the Deathleaper and a squad of 'Stealers as reserves. The 'Stealers even come in on the right side. I move them up behind the DE, in position to multi charge 2 Raiders and a squad of warriors. I what is left of the Gargoyles (Total of 3) back behind some woods to limit giving away free V.P.s. The fire phase is, in a word, RIDICULOUS. The pod kills a Raider, The Thopes kill a Ravager. The Hive Guard kill a Raider, the 'Fex kills a Ravager. The Tyrant immobilizes a Raider. There are nothing but craters of Raiders everywhere. It's almost anticlimactic when the 'Stealers charge. Lots more dead Raiders, Wyches and Warriors. I lock the Dracon and his

Turn Two DE: My friend is completely demoralized at this point. He moves whatever he can to try and kill as much as he could, but it is obvious it is a forgone conclusion. He has a handful of empty raiders left and only one squad (The Dracon and his friends) still in combat.

Turn Three Bugs: I'm actually more restricted by the wrecks and craters of Raiders than by the terrain, but after the fire phase, my buddy has only two Raiders left on the board and I am about to charge them with everything in my army. He concedes the game since I'll probably have something in the order of 60+ attacks on each Raider. Massacre + 4 (2500 V. P.s killed + 1692 V. P.s killed in game = 4192 V.P.s total killed)

At the end of the second round, I have 48 points and the second place player has 34 points. I realize that as long as I don't get massacred or tabled, I am just about guaranteed a slot in the Semis.

Coming next: Game Three 'Stealers vs. Black Templars.

f5ing like the fist of the north star

OK..... not quite sure what that means..... but... thanks I guess??

Wow I saw nids vs Raider spam dark eldar and was honestly expecting you to get a draw at best. Your friend did not give himself enough room to maneuver and it looks like you capitalized on that. Also, it sounded like his shooting was all over the place, DE really need to focus fire and finish what they start, a tyranofex with 1 wound left can kill a raider just as well as one with 6 wounds.

Well done on winning a total mismatch.

Fedral wrote:OK..... not quite sure what that means..... but... thanks I guess??

It means he is refreshing the page (F5) because he wants to read your battle reports. I have no idea what "fist of the northstar" is though.

I like the batreps and your list; good work.

Game Three 'Stealers vs. Black Templars.

There is one thing I have learned from years of playing Orks and 'Nids... Beware the Crazy Black Marines! The ability to get re-rolls on all CC attacks is HUGE and can result in a lot more casualties than anyone expects.

My opponent (Another friend of mine.) was playing a list that included a Landraider C, a trio of Rhinos, a pair of Vindicators, Termies, a Pod, a pair of speeders, a Venerable Dread plus a regular Dread. All this in addition to a bunch of Tactical Marines led by Helbrecht and an Emperor's Champion.

I know that my list can give away a maximum of 20 Kps to my opponent's 30-32 (Not really sure.) so that I am at a pretty big advantage, but my opponent is well known to me as a very good player, so I can't afford any mistakes.

I win the roll and decide to go first. I set up with my Gargoyles across the front with everything behind it. I hide my two Gaunt Broods out of sight as they will stand no chance against Templars. I keep one squad of 'Stealers for infiltration and my smallest 'Stealer Squad for outflanking. My opponent sets up towards the center of his deployment area, so I place my infiltrators to hit right flank to prevent him from moving laterally. My opponent doesn't steal the initiative, and we're off.

Turn One 'Nid: Everyone heads forward as fast as they can scuttle. My Hive Guard fires at his Dreads and fails to do anything. My 'Fex fires on a Vindicator and shakes it. All other fire accomplishes squat. Not close enough to assault anything so the turn ends.

Turn One Templars: All his vehicles move. His Rhinos move to the back edge to stay away from my fire. The LR moves forward and the Speeders move to the flank to ready themselves for countering my expected outflankers. His Dreads move up towards my infiltrating 'Stealers, but are just out of charge range. Lots of fire, lots of dead bugs, my Gargoyles vaporize under the firepower and I'm already down 3 KP to 0.

Turn Two 'Nid: My 'Stealers are the only reserves that I get and they come in on the side his Speeders are lurking on. I run them into the woods to give them a chance of getting a save against his fire. Everyone moves forward and my fire is a bit better this time. My Hive Guard pop a Rhino and a Tac Squad pop out with the Champion. The 'Fex blows up a Vindicator and the rest of the fire on the exposed squads results in nothing. I charge the Venerable Dread, but can't quite reach the other Dread. My Broodlord hits the Venerable andgets two penetrates. I roll a 1 and a 5, but my opponent makes me reroll BOTH, hoping that I will get the 6 and blow it up in my face. I oblige and lose a number of 'Stealers in the big boom. The end of the round sees me up 7 KP to 3.

Turn Two Templar: He moves a lot, the Speeders head to the 'Stealers and flay them with flamer and other assorted weapons. I lose almost half a brood of 'Stealers to the Vindi. The Termies and Helbrecht pour out of the Land Raider, in position to kill my big Tyrant/Tyrant Guard/Prime brood. Most of my 'Stealer broods are at or below half strength. Assault results in a lot of wounds exchanged. I lose a TG and a couple of wounds off of the Tyrant. The Prime loses a wound, but I kill a few Termies. The Dread charges the 'Stealers that killed the Venerable, but dies horribly to a lucky rend by a 'Stealer, but the explosion knocks the brood to a bare few members. We are at 8 KP to 3 now.

Turn Three Bug: I get the rest of my reserves and drop my pod in position to fire on both the LR and the Rhinos. The Deathleaper puts himself in a central position. Everything moves forward. Firing sees another Rhino popped and one immobilized. I cant seem to get a penetrate on the LR no matter how much S:10 I throw at it. I end up assaulting the Vindi, both Speeders and a Tac Squad with the Champion. The turn ends with the Vindi and both speeders down. The Tac squad wiped out and the Termies and Helbrecht dead and buried and the TG dead. The round ends at 20 KP to 4.

Turn Three: With nothing but an empty drop pod, a LR Crusader, an immobilized Rhino and a couple of Tactical Squads, the game is pretty much over. Time was running short, so we ended it since it was fairly clear that there was no way for him to kill 9 more KPs before I overrun him. We call the game by mutual consent.

The only point I miss out on is the 'More units within 6” of the center' as his LR was suatting in center board. I end the tourney with 71 out of 72 points with over 6000 VPs.

In the end, I was very content with the performance of the bugs in this tourney. Depending on the Semi scenarios, I'll probably switch to my Orks for the next round though. I find bug broods very delicate. They remind me of Ork Trukkboyz, good for one real good assault, but of very limited effectiveness after they get below half strength.

Hope you enjoyed this report. I'll post my semi results if they are holding one near me.

MorbidlyObeseMonkey wrote:I have no idea what "fist of the northstar" is though.

Fist of the North Star is the original shonen anime. It's basically about a guy who goes around beating the gak out of bad people. One of his attacks is 100 punches in 3 seconds, which is what I was referencing.


excellent batreps, Fedral.

Much congratulations!

I can personally attest to the ability of your army to totally surround and box in an opponent. Combine that with the coverage and would allocation you need to keep bugs alive, and it is a really tough army to chew through.

Getting first turn in all three rounds probably helped too.

I would like to see you take the bugs to the Semi's. You have one the last 3 or 4 tournaments with them, reward them.

Excellent batreps

Fedral wrote:Game Three 'Stealers vs. Black Templars.

In the end, I was very content with the performance of the bugs in this tourney. Depending on the Semi scenarios, I'll probably switch to my Orks for the next round though. I find bug broods very delicate. They remind me of Ork Trukkboyz, good for one real good assault, but of very limited effectiveness after they get below half strength.

That was a fun read. Nice to see a list with out the Tervigon. Shame you are not taking the bugs further. I would be interested to see how they performed.

Very interesting read, thanks for taking the time to post.