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-Battle Report-

So, recently I've been messing around with a Ninja Nid list. The concept was to have everything outflanking or deepstriking.

Played quite a few test games and wanted to share with you how the list is working out for me. So far I've had 3 wins and 2 losses. I'm going to make some minor adjustments of which I'll explain later. So, without further a do here's the Battle Report.

-The Armies-

NIDS (L0rdF1end)


Hive Tyrant
+ Wings + Hive Commander + Old Adversary + TL Devourer x2 (310)

Zoanthrope x3 + Spore (220)

9 Genestealers + Toxin sacs (153)
8 Genestealers + Toxin sacs (136)
20 Hormagaunt + Toxin sacs + Adrenal Glands (200)

Trygon Prime (240)
Trygon Prime (240)

---------------

Tau (Taudau)

Shas'el, Puls, Ionen, Vektor, Stim, 2x Schild 137

2x Krisis, Plasma, Fusion, FL 124
2x Krisis, Synch Rakmag, Flamer 94
2x Krisis, Synch Rakmag, Flamer 94

7 FW, Shas'ui 80
Devilfish, SMS, tl, D-pod, +1bs, flechette 125
7 FW, Shas'ui 80
Devilfish, SMS, tl, D-pod, +1bs, flechette 125

Hammerhead, MB, PK, Multi, tl, dpod 170
Hammerhead, MB, PK, Multi, tl, dpod 170
Skyray, BF+1, D-pod, SMS, tl 160

5 Pathfinders, Shas'ui 70
5 Pathfinders, Shas'ui 70

---------------

Deployment = DOW
Mission = Annihilation

L0rdF1end rolled high and opted to go second.


-Deployment-

Tau Deploys Fire Warriors centre staged in the woods and his Tau commander with drones to the far left behind the building.

Nids choose to Deep Strike everything and Outflank the troops.





-Turn 1 TAU-

The Turn starts and Tau growing wise to my likely outflankers moves his commander towards the centre of the board.

-Turn 1 NIDS-

Nothing what so ever since everything waits for turn two before the real actions starts.





-Turn 2 TAU-

And now the fun begins, Taudau makes his rolls for reserves, in comes both Firestorm crisis suit squads and a Hammerhead, He moves his command unit further to the centre knowing im likely to be threatening him from any direction next turn.





-Turn 2 NIDS-

Ok, this is what I've been waiting for, time to put the force to the test. I make my deepstrike/outflanking rolls for all of my units (we play that Hive Tyrant does not give the +1 to reserve rolls unless he's on the table). To my shock and horror only one Stealer unit comes in with a 4+. I roll the side and get the right hand side of the board.

Now this is where things get tricky, I don't want to bring them in all the way down the other end of the board otherwise they are unlikely to see any action at all. I also don't want them to be directly in the line of fire and just end up with a dead squad ideally. I opt for the brave and possibly stupid option to try and be a threat and hide them in the trees offering a 5+ cover save to the right. Hopefully they survive....

Noteworthy conversation

<L0rdF1end> - hmmm
<L0rdF1end> - one group of stealers is basically target practise for you lol
<taudau_1.5k> - yeah >_>





-Turn 3 TAU-

Time for more reserve rolls and overkill arrives to deal with my one squad of Genestealers. In comes the Skyray, another Hammerhead and a Devil Fish with its cargo of Path Finers...Bye Bye Genestealers.

He moves his Firesuits over to the left a little along with his Command squad, He drops his Path Finders off in the woods.

Shooting... Not a lot to say other than the obvious, The skyray tries to Marker and fails, it fires it's sms into the unit taking one Stealer down. The first hammerhead Pie Plates the entire unit with a hit causing death to most of the brood, a follow up Pie Plate wipes out the remaining and that, ladies and gentlemen, was that.



Assault, (im giving up with the arrows for now, bloddy difficult to draw on a laptop with no mouse handy) he moves his squads back into a tighter formation bunched together taking cover behind his tanks.





-Turn 3 NIDS-

I hope and prey for some decent rolls for my reserves, loosing one unit a turn to his entire army would suck and in the half a dosen or so games i've played with this list that was easily the worst 2nd turn rolls i've ever had. Heck, none would have been better.

Much better this time, In come my Hormagaunts, Tyrant and one of my Primes, rolling for outflanking side I get the left edge, probably better for me... I deploy and deep strike my troops. The Tyrant lands right where i placed him and the Prime scatters a few inches but pretty much perfect placement for what I had planned. Look how bunched up Tau is. I would kill for a well placed Doom or Mawloc right now.




Shooting... Time to reap the rewards of some well placed deep striked units. The Prime fires at the nearest Fire Warrior squad causing 3 wounds after cover saves. Next up the Tyrant with his twin-linked devourers causing a massive 11 wounds, 3 of which are saved wiping out the squad completely.
I run the Horms. The remaining FireWarriors pass their LD test leaving the end of the turn 1-1.





-Turn 4 TAU-

The rest of his army arrives on the board (Path Finders in the second Fish and his Sunforges). The sunforges deepstrike and land not to far away from the Prime, His Path finders disembark from the Fish on the far left hand side.

Most of his army then move and turn to take shots at the Prime and Tyrant.

Shooting...Literally everything he posseses lays into the Trygon which eventually kills him. With what little he has left he manages to also take 1 wound off the Tyrant. His turn ends 2-1 to Tau.



-Turn 4 NIDS-

A roll for reserves and all of my remaning forces enter the battle (Trygon Prime, Zoans x3, Stealers). Rolling for table edge for the stealers gives me the right edge . These come on with the attempt to take down the Fish and the path finders to the far right.

I drop my Zoan pod right in the centre which scatters a few inches.

My remaining Prime comes up to the right of his line of tanks and doesn't scatter.

The Tyrant flys in to get in range again with its devastating devourers and the horms move ever closer.

Shooting... Horms run making their way closer to the enemy ranks.

Tyrant takes aim at his sunforges in the center. I deliver 8 wounds but he saves 5 of them only killing one sunforge, later he takes a LD test and they run like the wind.

The zoans take fire at the centre hammerhead, they all pass their tests and score one penetrating hit. I roll a 6 AP1 which causes it to explode into little pieces. Nothing is effected by the blast radius.

The Trygons turn, he takes aim into the back of the other hammerhead. scroing two glances and a penetrating hit. He immobilises and stuns with the glances and rolls another immobilise with the Pen which destroys his burst cannon.

Assault... In go the stealers multi charging the Path finders and the Fish.

As I assaulted into cover his Path Finders get the first blow causing 0 wounds. I hit back casuing 10 wounds 4 of which are rending. He fails to keep the squad alive with his saves and the Genetealers munch on his remains. Next, the Fish, it kills one of my Stealers with its discharges. I unfortunately fail to get even one glance.

My turn ends 3-2 to Nids.





-Turn 5 TAU -

His remaining Sunforge fails LD again and runs almost off the board.

The Fish on the right tank shocks the Stealers, The Stealers looking for revenge for their dead pal pass LD and fail to score a rending hit (big ask really) leading to one more dead Stealer.

He then positions most of his remaining forces to deal with the Zoans.

Shooting...

Running sunforge takes a shot at the Tyrant taking one more wound off him. Path finders then mark the tyrant scoring two hits.
The Skyray then fires two seeker missiles at the Tyrant, rapid delivery taking him down to one remaining wound. To finish off the Tyrant the Skyray markers the tyrant hiiting with one light and he eats another seeker missile to the face. One dead Tyrant.

The Skyray (does this thing ever run out of shots, i should of killed this thing while i had the chance) then uses its sms against the Zoans. It causes a wound but its saved so all good.

Next up, the Firewarriors open fire on the Zoans causing two wounds but both are saved.

Next, shas'el opens up on the Zoans, cyclic ion first, then burst canon. He causes 3 wounds in total but I save all of them.

Next, the Fish fires at the stealers, 2 wounds so 2 dead.

The other Fish also takes aim at the stealers causing a further wound.

And the shooting continues.. Next with both krisis teams on the Trygon Prime leading to the Trygon taking a wound.

To end the phase the remaining Genestealers pass their morale check.



Assault... Ninja'el assaults the Zoans, The drones cause a wound which is saved, ninja'el causes 2, one of which is saved. My fight back agaisnt the drones killing one of them tieing combat.

The Turn ends 3-3.





-Turn 5 NIDS-

Horms pass their Instinctive behaviour check and move on up in the hope to get some action before the game ends.

Genestealers, move into the cover of the trees.

Prime moves towards the Zoans combat in an effort to save them before its to late.

Shooting... Horms run rolling 3 dice and getting a 6 Nicely into assault range.

The stealers run out of the trees towards the immobilised tank to try and get an easy kill.

Prime runs closer to insure he gets into assault range.



Assault... Horms make it into combat through the wild undergrowth of the woods against both his Path Finders and his remaining Fire warriors.

The Trygon charges in the assit the Zoans.

The stealers also get into assault with the immobilised Hammerhead.

First up, combat with the Horms and PF's and FW's. We all go at the same time because of difficult terrain. He inflicts 3 wounds, one of which is saved. Now for my go

Firstly against his Path finders, I cause 7 wounds. He makes 4 saves so 3 die.

On the fire warriors I do better totalling 12 wounds. He makes 6 saves killing the unit outright.

The Path Finders Fail their LD check and run off the board. 5-3 to Nids so far.

Next up, its the stealers, they auto hit the hammerhead leading to 4 penetrating hits. (who needs Adrenal Glands). The final roll Explodes the Hammerhead (now 6-3) killing one Stealer in the explosion and they pass their LD check.

Lastly, Prime and the Zoans. Drones fail to score a wound on the Zoans and Ninja does just as badly. The Prime scores 6 wounds on Ninja which kills him taking the drones out with him (7-3).

I consolidate and pass the turn over to Taudau.





Turn 6 TAU -

A 5 is rolled and the game continues.The remaining crisis suit fails his LD once again and runs off the egde of the table (8-3).

My Genestealers get tank shocked yet again, passing my LD i try to rend him with one Genestealer and fail.

Shooting... He lines up his Flamer Crisis suits to incinerate my poor little hormies. He does so killing the entire unit (8-4).

Sky ray fires sms into the Zoans follwed by both Fish's wiping out the unit (8-5).

Im now left with a Spore, One Genestealer and a Prime as he passes the turn over to me.





Turn 6 NIDS -

I move my Prime to tackle the Crisis Flamers.

Shooting... The spore tries with its tenticles against the Crisis suits but fails to wound.

Prime fires at the same unit causing 2 unsaved wounds killing one. Crisis pass their LD check.

Assault...

Prime assaults the remaining Crisis suit, we both go at the same time due to DT. he scores no wounds to my 4 killing the remaining Crisis suit. (9-5).

We roll for turn 7 and a 5 is rolled. Shame I could of done with it ending there or even at turn 5. lets hope he doent Annihilate me.

"* d6 = 5 * <L0rdF1end>, Sides = 6, Added to each die = 0
<taudau_1.5k> - yay
<L0rdF1end> - omg
<L0rdF1end> - lol
<L0rdF1end> - go for it
<L0rdF1end> - finish me"



Turn 7 TAU -

He moves his Tanks facing the prime and the pod and moves the remaining Crisis team back but facing the Prime.

Shooting...The Skyray opens up on the Spore taking it down to one wound.

Crisis team fire at the Prime causing one wound.

One Fish opens up on the prime causing a wound but it saved.

The last Fish destroys the Spore (9-6)

he finishes up the shooting phase with my Prime and one Srealer still on the table, close one...





Turn 7 NIDS -

My last turn to score a point to make this victory wholesome.

I move My stealer to the back of his tank and my Prime through the woods to face off the Crisis suits.

Shooting...

Prime takes aim at the Crisis Suits and scores a wound which is saved.

Assault...

His discharges lay a wound onto the last Stealer and I roll a 6 to save him
The lone Stealer attacks and fails to scratch the Devilfish.

Prime time, Crisis team score a wound on Prime which is saved, The Prime bits and scratches back scoring a massive 7 wounds killing the Crisis suits (10-6).



And there we have it Ladies and Gents, was a most enjoyable game, pretty close in the end but the NIDS managed to hang on in there.

To conclude, i don't think the all reserve option for the Nids is the greatest but it is certainly fun to play.

Without getting the benefit of Hive Commander with the Tyrant off the board makes your army come down in dribs and drabs which makes things hard to plan. I need to have some security with him starting on the table if I'm to play this concept seriously. perhaps some Tyrant Guard and a screen of Gargoyles but thats eating up quite a few valuable points which could weaken the list further.

Im not giving up with this list yet. I want to try changing some things around to see how it works out. As stated, i don't in any way think its the best but it sure is fun.

I hope you enjoyed the battle report. This is my first so I hope it was easy to follow and sorry it was quite a long game.

Cheers,

LF

Thank you for this excellent batrep. I cant wait to know the official ruling about the tyrant's reserve bonus.

If you had to upgrade this list to a 1700 list what would you add to it?

-Another Trygon?
-The deadleaper (for the +1 reserve when is on the board)?

Thanks Leto,

Im glad it was readable, was a little nervous about my first batrep.

There's much talk concerning whether Hive Commander works off the board or not. You would of thought that if it wasn't going to work they would of worded the ruling exactly the same as the Lictors ability...

So I'm not discounting this being the case yet, fingers crossed it does work. Otherwise he needs to start on the board as mentioned and that changes things considerably.

I have been messing around with the concept of a treble Trygon list but its yet to be tested. I do though need to test this list further in some multi objective games as I think it might be a little light on troops. If i was going to 1700 I think more troops and maybe Doom or another Trygon. This is still work in progress so hard to say at the moment.

This game was fun though coming right up on the door step of Tau.

Excellent battle rep, thanks!

Re: reserve lists, I really think that it's RAI that Hive Commander both stack and work off table. If it's faq'ed not, I wouldn't bother with a ninja list, too random.

I begin to wonder if the Tyrant really needs Old Adersary in that kind of list. Dont get me wrong, this is a very nice ability but if you consider that most of the time the Tyrant will only shoot and that when it deepstikes, he doesnt choose exactly where it lands, it might be good to save those 25 pts for something else.

Exactly Leto, your right, these are wasted points, the only real bonus is thet the Tyrant gets to reroll his attacks but not worth it when going shooty like this. I've re-worked the list after further tests and i'm now running this: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/280991.page

A very interesting battle. And you have no reason to worry about your report writing skills, this battle report was excellently made. I'll keep an eye out for your next one.

Great pics, i enjoyed the vassal type of way you did it

Thanks for your feedback, I'll do another one soon, win or loose, need to test the updated version further.