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So a friend and I are in a custom narrative campaign mission of Tyranids vs. Space Wolves. It's pretty much up to me to design the missions, objectives, and rewards.
I've built the narrative to essentially give a small reward in the next game (to be around roughly 50pts in value) for winning the current objective. Each of us also designated a character at the end of the first mission that distinguished itself to be the Narrative Hero

For myself (playing Tyranids) I choose my Broodlord (named him Devil of Fenris), and my friend chose his librarian. These characters always come back and deploy in every mission and slowly upgrade automatically as the campaign moves on.

We've gone through 3 missions so far without any problems. The narrative so far has been this

Mission 1 was essentially a small 500pt scout mission to find out why a particular space wolf detachment had failed to report in. Surprise, Tyranids
Objective: Space Wolf force must end turn in bunker to acquire geneseed of lost comrades and then return to deployment zone to report infestation. Tyranids must wipe out the Space Wolf force
Results
- Tyranids wipe out the scout force to a man and absorb their biomass into the swarm
- 1 Space Wolf Mastery Level 1 librarian escapes (for narrative reasons) to warn command

Mission 2. Space Wolf Command believes the Librarian incompetent to loose his entire scout force to a small force of Tyranids and that he's embellishing the seriousness of the problem to cover for his dishonorable loss. the Wolves send a larger force (750 pts) to investigate and uncover the truth
Tyranids get 800pts for deployment (bonus for extra biomass for Mission 1 table wipe)
Objective: Space Wolf force must end turn in bunker to acquire geneseed of lost comrades and then return to deployment zone to report infestation. Tyranids must wipe out the Space Wolf force
Results
- Tyranid victory and a second table wipe for the space wolves
- 1 Space Wolf Mastery Level 1 librarian escapes (for narrative reasons) to warn command, but at least has definitive proof of the severity of the problem

Mission 3: The Tyranid Shadow in the Warp has grown to the point where interplanetary communications are about to be shut off. All but the most powerful psykers can bare the strain. The last of Astra Telepathica on the planet still capable are being held in a protective base while they try to penetrate the Shadow in the Warp and call for reinforcements. A large Tyranid Force is advancing in their direction
Both sides get 1000 pts.
Space Wolves deploy in center and rear of table with fortifications. They may Re-inforce 1 building and improve cover save by +1
Tyranids deploy on all surrounding sides.
Objectives: Space Wolves must defend the Choir of Psykers for 5 turns in order to penetrate the Shadow in the Warp. Tyranids must stop the choir by gaining control of the objective (the choir of psykers)
Results
- Space Wolves win, narrowly. 2 space marines (singular models) remained alive contesting the objective for the 5 full turns. Tyranids barely loose, but the call is out and now Space Wolf re-enforcements are aware of the Tyranid threat on this world.

Mission 4 is where I need help. I'm playing around with the idea of the Space Wolves assaulting Tyranid Capillary Towers to slow down the terraforming that's starting while waiting for reinforcements to arrive from winning Mission 3.
My thoughts were there would be 3 towers T9, 6W, 2+ Armour impassible terrain that broadcast shadow in the warp at a 12" radius and also the same Shadow in the Warp over an area inside the perimeter of the Capillary Towers. So the Shadow in the Warp would essentially be a triangular area inside the Tyranid Deployment Zone until one of the towers was destroyed, then just the immediate 12" around each remaining tower.
3 VP each to SW for each tower destroyed and 3VP each to Tyranids for each tower remaining, plus first blood, line breaker, slay the warlord and a point if the opposing Hero Character is taken out.

my Space Wolf friend wants the Towers to be T8, not T9, but I'm worried with all the rending wounds his close combat weapons do on top of all the heavy weapons it will be a short game and not necessarily a challenging or satisfying match. I was playing with the idea of 1,200 pts per side with some sort of bonus for the SW for winning last game.

Any thoughts?

With 6 wounds and a 2+ save, most ranged firepower won't have much effect, even a squad of lascannon Long Fangs will take three or four turns to take one down at T9, and a bit less at T8.

The wolf player will need to take down at least two (meaning 12 wounds), plus defeat your actual army to get there or survive long enough to shoot it, and considering you've been wiping the floor with him, I'd go with T8 and some bonus to the puppies, though I can't think of anything suitable atm.

I agree T8 with a 2+ save is crazy durable. As for the bonus, how about getting the Psyker Choir as a unit? ML 1 Brotherhood of Psykers who get to roll on Divination.

Rather than models with specific wounds to be destroyed, you could use a set of game conditions to determine if the towers are taken out.

Off the top of my head, I would suggest something like: All models in the Space Wolf army are armed with charges to take out the towers and they need time to set the charges and destroy the towers.
To destroy a tower, the following conditions must be met: If an unengaged Space Wolves unit is in base contact with a capillary tower at the end of the Tyranid turn, the charges have been set and the tower is destroyed.

This means that your opponent can afford to focus on your army rather than focusing their firepower and combat units on the towers, but must also think tactically to set up a screen for his troops taking on the tower to prevent them being charged and stopped from setting the charges.
You would most likely have the numerical advantage, but the wolves player could get close to the towers using deep strike and drop pod units and use sacrificial units to tie up your forces and give his troops time to take down the towers.

This way the game relies on tactical play on both sides rather than just getting lucky with lascannon shots or combat attacks. It also means that any unit in the infantry army can help with the game, rather than just a few select units that could easily be targeted and neutralised.

 corrm wrote:
Rather than models with specific wounds to be destroyed, you could use a set of game conditions to determine if the towers are taken out.

Off the top of my head, I would suggest something like: All models in the Space Wolf army are armed with charges to take out the towers and they need time to set the charges and destroy the towers.
To destroy a tower, the following conditions must be met: If an unengaged Space Wolves unit is in base contact with a capillary tower at the end of the Tyranid turn, the charges have been set and the tower is destroyed.

This means that your opponent can afford to focus on your army rather than focusing their firepower and combat units on the towers, but must also think tactically to set up a screen for his troops taking on the tower to prevent them being charged and stopped from setting the charges.
You would most likely have the numerical advantage, but the wolves player could get close to the towers using deep strike and drop pod units and use sacrificial units to tie up your forces and give his troops time to take down the towers.

This way the game relies on tactical play on both sides rather than just getting lucky with lascannon shots or combat attacks. It also means that any unit in the infantry army can help with the game, rather than just a few select units that could easily be targeted and neutralised.

I like this idea. Less about how the army is made and more about the tactics and still has a good narrative without having to worry about wounds, toughness and save balancing. Any thoughts about what would make a good bonus for the space wolf player for this game? Something not unbalancing but provides a themed advantage.

Bonuses so far
- 50 pts in extra army (either side, depending on who won Mission 1)
- one unit, regardless of current rules gains Deep Strike and arrives automatically on Turn 3 (Mission 3 Space Wolf bonus that he didn't get)
- at the start of deployment roll D6, on a 1-5 one unit gains the Infiltrate special rule, on a 6 two units gain the Infiltrate special rule. Tyranid Bonus for mission 3 (tunneling tyranids in the area allowed a kind of infiltration)

 disdamn wrote:
I like this idea. Less about how the army is made and more about the tactics and still has a good narrative without having to worry about wounds, toughness and save balancing. Any thoughts about what would make a good bonus for the space wolf player for this game? Something not unbalancing but provides a themed advantage.

Weather or terrain effects? For example a global reduction to BS due to snow or dust storms, or something forcing dangerous terrain checks, or what have you.

3rd party units on the table are an option as well, as well as off-map effects from allies.

 disdamn wrote:

 corrm wrote:
Rather than models with specific wounds to be destroyed, you could use a set of game conditions to determine if the towers are taken out.

Off the top of my head, I would suggest something like: All models in the Space Wolf army are armed with charges to take out the towers and they need time to set the charges and destroy the towers.
To destroy a tower, the following conditions must be met: If an unengaged Space Wolves unit is in base contact with a capillary tower at the end of the Tyranid turn, the charges have been set and the tower is destroyed.

This means that your opponent can afford to focus on your army rather than focusing their firepower and combat units on the towers, but must also think tactically to set up a screen for his troops taking on the tower to prevent them being charged and stopped from setting the charges.
You would most likely have the numerical advantage, but the wolves player could get close to the towers using deep strike and drop pod units and use sacrificial units to tie up your forces and give his troops time to take down the towers.

This way the game relies on tactical play on both sides rather than just getting lucky with lascannon shots or combat attacks. It also means that any unit in the infantry army can help with the game, rather than just a few select units that could easily be targeted and neutralised.

I like this idea. Less about how the army is made and more about the tactics and still has a good narrative without having to worry about wounds, toughness and save balancing. Any thoughts about what would make a good bonus for the space wolf player for this game? Something not unbalancing but provides a themed advantage.

Bonuses so far
- 50 pts in extra army (either side, depending on who won Mission 1)
- one unit, regardless of current rules gains Deep Strike and arrives automatically on Turn 3 (Mission 3 Space Wolf bonus that he didn't get)
- at the start of deployment roll D6, on a 1-5 one unit gains the Infiltrate special rule, on a 6 two units gain the Infiltrate special rule. Tyranid Bonus for mission 3 (tunneling tyranids in the area allowed a kind of infiltration)

I wouldn't go for the 50pts bonus, in a marine army, this is not going to buy you much.
Deep strike is a good bonus, but I feel it should be turn 2 rather than turn 3. This may be too late in the mission to be too much of a bonus.

I would suggest something like this: The Space Wolves know that the towers must be taken down at all costs and are ready to sell their lives to do so. All Space wolf units have the Stubborn special rule.

Gives the space wolves a nice bonus (especially if they have been struggling to win so far) and is thematic to the game.

Stubborn is good themewise but with ATSKNF it's not really going to provide anything useful for him.

How about if they got Furious Charge or Fleet again for the same reasons? They know this has to be taken down at all costs