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I'm up north again in the frozen tundra and had time last evening to play another game versus my friend's Tyranid army.

Here's my army list:

Grey Knights - Primary CAD

Lord Khaldor Draigo /Warlord /Level 2 Psyker

Grey Knight Librarian /Level 3 Psyker
Storm Bolter • Nemesis Daemonhammer • Liber Daemonica

9x Grey Knight
2x Psycannon
Justicar - Nemesis Daemonhammer /Level 1 Psyker

4x Grey Knight
Psycannon
Justicar - Nemesis Daemonhammer/ Level 1 Psyker

Stormraven
Twin Linked Assault Cannon - Twin Linked Multi-Melta - Hurricane Bolters


Ultramarines Allied Detachment

Tigurius /Level 3 Psyker

4x Scout
2x Shotgun - 2x Close Combat Weapon - Camo Cloaks
Sergeant - Combi-Melta - Teleport Homer - Camo Cloak
Landspeeder Storm - Heavy Flamer

4x Devastator Centurion (DevCent)
4x Grav Cannon - 4x Grav Amp - 4x Missile Launcher
Sergeant - Twin Linked Lascannon - Missile Launcher - Omniscope


There are 10 total warp charges... 11 if I combat squad. This might not be the best list for DraigoStar... It's based upon my limited experience playing the army.

Psychic Powers
Draigo - Gate of Infinity - Banishment - Purge Soul - Hammer Hand (Santic)
GK Librarian - Sanctuary (Santic) - Prescience - Perfect Timing - Forewarning (Divination)
Tigurius - Psychic Shriek - Invisibility - Shrouding (Telepathy)

The Strike squads have Hammer Hand; all of the psykers have Force as well.


Here is my opponent's list (same as last time... Stubborn git):


NIDZ
Primary detachment

Flyrant - 2x TL-Brainleech Devourers, Egrubs, Fighter Ace (Warlord)
Flyrant - 2x TL-Brainleech Devourers, Egrubs

Lictor
Lictor
Lictor

3x Rippers - Deepstrike
3x Rippers - Deepstrike

Mawloc

Void Shield Generator - 3x Void Shields

Hive Fleet Leviathan detachment

Flyrant - 2x TL-Brainleech Devourers, Egrubs
Flyrant - 2x TL-Brainleech Devourers, Egrubs
Flyrant - 2x TL-Brainleech Devourers, Egrubs

Malanthrope

1x Mucolid
1x Mucolid
1x Mucolid

Tyranid Psychic Powers
Warlord Flyrant - Catalyst - Onslaught
Flyrant #2 - Catalyst - Paroxsym
Flyrant #3 - Onslaught - The Horror
Flyrant #4 - Catalyst - Warp Blast
Flyrant #5 - Onslaught - Paroxsym

Nidz clock in with a total of 10 warp charge - pretty even on both sides this time.


This time we roll up the Emperor's Will for primary along with First Blood, Slay the Warlord and Line Breaker...

So let's see if the Tyranids will be the whipping boys again !

If Tyranids play it correctly, they should be able to take this game as long as they 1) kill everything else but the centstar and 2) deploy everything.

At least this time, they've got a lot of Catalyst. That should help.

Look forward to it!

He was out for blood this game !!


Table Setup
There is a fair amount of line of sight blocking terrain but not as much as last time. There is a high and wide LoS blocking terrain in the center of the table too.

Deployment - Hammer and Anvil

No Night Fight.

I win the roll to choose my deployment plus deploy with the option to go first or second. I pick the side with the most LoS blocking terrain and choose to go first. I deploy nothing but DraigoStar behind terrain so my opponent can't shoot them if he seizes. He puts his VSG up on the line in the middle with the Malenthrope behind it. All the Flyrants are clustered up close by for the 2+ cover save. He reserves:

Mawloc
Rippers
Mucolids
Lictors

My Emperor's Will objective marker is all the way back in my table quarter while my opponent puts his close to the VSG. He then attempts to seize but fails.


1st Turn - DraigoStar
No movement.

First I successfully cast Gate, Perfect Timing, Prescience and Shrouded. I Gate onto one flank close to the Warlord Flyrant. I then Shriek the Warlord and drop three wounds.

Shooting phase missiles drop the void shields and a lucky 6 for the sergeant's lascannon (splitfire) drops the Warlord Flyrant for FB and StWL.

Off to a good start for the Knights

Yeah I really wanted to take advantage of going first .

 Dozer Blades wrote:

Shooting phase missiles drop the void shields and a lucky 6 for the sergeant's lascannon (splitfire) drops the Warlord Flyrant for FB and StWL.

I'm not sure I quite follow. What do you mean by a lucky 6?

 jy2 wrote:

 Dozer Blades wrote:

Shooting phase missiles drop the void shields and a lucky 6 for the sergeant's lascannon (splitfire) drops the Warlord Flyrant for FB and StWL.

I'm not sure I quite follow. What do you mean by a lucky 6?

yeah if you took the first turn you'll be hitting the flyrant at normal bs?

My dice have a lucky logo on the six instead of pips... It was what popped when I rolled to hit.

Turn 1 - Tyranids
The four remaining Flyrants all enter swoop mode flying over the deathstar - a pair on either side.

All the Flyrants get their FNP buff during the psychic phase. Flyrant #5 attempts to cast Paroxsym on the deathstar, which is successfully denied, and suffers a peril losing a wound and loses Catalyst.

Shooting phase sees the four Flyrants focus fire on the deathstar (obviously)... Two DevCents both lose a wound.

DraigoStar: FB, StWL
TYranids: 0

 Dozer Blades wrote:
Turn 1 - Tyranids
The four remaining Flyrants all enter swoop mode flying over the deathstar - a pair on either side.

All the Flyrants get their FNP buff during the psychic phase. Flyrant #5 attempts to cast Paroxsym on the deathstar, which is successfully denied, and suffers a peril losing a wound and loses Catalyst.

Shooting phase sees the four Flyrants focus fire on the deathstar (obviously)... Two DevCents both lose a wound.

DraigoStar: FB, StWL
TYranids: 0

4 Flyrants only did 2 wounds? Sounds like your opponent was having some crazy bad luck! Looking forward to seeing how this ends though!

 jifel wrote:

 Dozer Blades wrote:
Turn 1 - Tyranids
The four remaining Flyrants all enter swoop mode flying over the deathstar - a pair on either side.

All the Flyrants get their FNP buff during the psychic phase. Flyrant #5 attempts to cast Paroxsym on the deathstar, which is successfully denied, and suffers a peril losing a wound and loses Catalyst.

Shooting phase sees the four Flyrants focus fire on the deathstar (obviously)... Two DevCents both lose a wound.

DraigoStar: FB, StWL
TYranids: 0

4 Flyrants only did 2 wounds? Sounds like your opponent was having some crazy bad luck! Looking forward to seeing how this ends though!

Invisibility + majority T5 + 2+ saves.

 jy2 wrote:

 jifel wrote:

 Dozer Blades wrote:
Turn 1 - Tyranids
The four remaining Flyrants all enter swoop mode flying over the deathstar - a pair on either side.

All the Flyrants get their FNP buff during the psychic phase. Flyrant #5 attempts to cast Paroxsym on the deathstar, which is successfully denied, and suffers a peril losing a wound and loses Catalyst.

Shooting phase sees the four Flyrants focus fire on the deathstar (obviously)... Two DevCents both lose a wound.

DraigoStar: FB, StWL
TYranids: 0

4 Flyrants only did 2 wounds? Sounds like your opponent was having some crazy bad luck! Looking forward to seeing how this ends though!

Invisibility + majority T5 + 2+ saves.

D'oh! I forgot about the invisibility! Man that power is nasty against Volume of fire like the Flyrants...

2nd Turn - DraigoStar
In from reserve comes the Stormraven with the 10 man Grey Knight squad embarked. It comes in close to DraigoStar. Tigurius' re roll keeps the scouts in reserve.

DraigoStar moves a bit spreading out with Tigurius and the GK Librarian in the middle.

This psychic phase Tigurius successfully casts Shrouding on the Stormraven for the 2+ jink save. I also successfully cast Invisibility, Prescience and Perfect Timing. Draigo gets Force up as well.

Onto the shooting phase - Stormraven unloads assault cannon and Hurricane bolters along with a missile into the wounded Flyrant #5 to finish it off. It then PotMS the multi-melta into the VSG and nukes it. DraigoStar targets Flyrant #2 - three wounds gets through, it crashes to the ground taking its final wound but then passes it's FNP... Lucky critter!

DraigoStar then launches an assault needing around 7-8", taking no wounds from Overwatch... Draigo then finishes off Flyrant #2 with no wounds taken in return. DraigoStar uses their consolidation move to spread out 2" apart between all models.

Turn 2 - Tyranids
In from reserves comes the Mawloc, one ripper swarm, two Mucolids and one Lictor. One Mucolid mishaps and is sucked back into the warp. Lictor comes in hiding behind LoS blocking terrain while the ripper swarm lands in terrain taking no wounds from dangerous terrain checks.

Mawloc drops on top of DraigoStar with some scatter drifting off Tigurius centered onto Draigo. Draigo tanks wounds until he loses one then the last wound removes one of the Centurions. Second strike strips another wound from Draigo and wounds another Centurion. The Mawloc then auto mishaps and I get to place in a table corner far from either Emperor's Will objective.

The two remaining Flyrants swoop away from the deathstar.

Flyrant #4 casts Catalyst but is then denied...

Lictor and rippers run deeper into cover so hopefully they can't be targeted next turn. Flyrants both target the deathstar removing another Centurion.

DraigoStar: FB, StWL
Tyranids: 0

 Dozer Blades wrote:


This psychic phase Tigurius successfully casts Shrouding on the Stormraven for the 2+ jink save. I also successfully cast Invisibility, Prescience and Perfect Timing. Draigo gets Force up as well.

That's one hell of a psychic phase for 12 dice. 6 psychic powers 2 of which a WC2?? Wish my psychic dice were ever that hot.

Dice were on fire for once !

So I have a question, isn't the malanthrope an HQ choice not an Elite or whatever people are taking it as. The APOC 2013 forgeworld book says its a HQ choice for codex tyranid. Am I missing something? I am also not seeing the shrouding effect listed, which is what I thought people played it for, or was it just for Synapse?

 z3n1st wrote:
So I have a question, isn't the malanthrope an HQ choice not an Elite or whatever people are taking it as. The APOC 2013 forgeworld book says its a HQ choice for codex tyranid. Am I missing something? I am also not seeing the shrouding effect listed, which is what I thought people played it for, or was it just for Synapse?

The Malanthrope received updated rules in Forge Worlds's Imperial Armor 4, v2 which was released in July 2014 (I believe) and replaces the rules found in IA Apocalypse. It is an Elites choice, and has a special rule that gives the Shrouded effect to all units within 6".

Malowacs can use their attack on an Invisible unit even though its using the large blast template?

That's how we played it. Not sure if it's correct or not - seems more like mėlee than shooting even though it's rules are geared like barrage. Not sure if there is an official FAQ.

 Dozer Blades wrote:
That's how we played it. Not sure if it's correct or not - seems more like mėlee than shooting even though it's rules are geared like barrage. Not sure if there is an official FAQ.

You guys played it right.

The mawloc's special attack is neither a shooting nor a cc attack. As such, it bypasses Invisibility.

Stormraven
Twin Linked Assault Cannon - Twin Linked Multi-Melta - Hurricane Bolters /Level 1 Psyker

There are 11 total warp charges...

GK vehicles are no longer psychic pilots, so should have been 10 charges.

Still looking forward to reading the rest.

@jifel thanks

Good rep but why no pictures?

I was under the impression that a DraigoStar involved terminators or Paladins? Seems you just threw Draigo in there.

This list is close to optimization for me. The termies are costly - I like Strikes for deep striking, psycannon and daemonhammer with force in cover to potentially nuke Wraithknights. GK termies are really awesome though and I could see a squad of 5-6 riding in a Stormraven.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Sorry for lack of pix - we were partying pretty hard at the time.

 Pyeatt wrote:
I was under the impression that a DraigoStar involved terminators or Paladins? Seems you just threw Draigo in there.

Pretty much everyone would refer to this army as a CentStar. "DraigoStar" tends to refer to the old Paladin blobs of 5th Edition.

In this army, all Draigo does is cast Gate and suck wounds. He's really only there to avoid the randomness of rolling for Gate, and I know some people who aren't willing to pay the price of having a Lord of War (potential free VPs/Seize bonus) for that and choose to omit him.

It's definitely the Cents that do all the heavy lifting.

DJ3 wrote:

 Pyeatt wrote:
I was under the impression that a DraigoStar involved terminators or Paladins? Seems you just threw Draigo in there.

Pretty much everyone would refer to this army as a CentStar. "DraigoStar" tends to refer to the old Paladin blobs of 5th Edition.

In this army, all Draigo does is cast Gate and suck wounds. He's really only there to avoid the randomness of rolling for Gate, and I know some people who aren't willing to pay the price of having a Lord of War (potential free VPs/Seize bonus) for that and choose to omit him.

It's definitely the Cents that do all the heavy lifting.

The points for taking off wounds/hull points for LOW and sieze bonus are only if you're playing using Escalation rules

3rd Turn - DraigoStar
Again with the re roll via Tigurius the Scouts are kept off the table. Stormraven leaves the table. DraigoStar moves onto the Tyranids' Emperor's Will objective and spread out.

I successfully cast Invisibility and Prescience. I attempt to shriek one of the two remaining Flyrants but my opponent denies it.

DraigoStar targets one of the Flyrants but can only strip a couple wounds. The Flyrant crashes and loses its third wound but is too far away to assault.

3rd Turn - Tryanids
In from reserve comes the other ripper swarm and the other two Lictors - they all deep strike around my Emperor's Will objective marker. The Mawloc burrows.

The first ripper swarm passes it's instinctive behavior check. The wounded Flyrant goes back into swoop mode and both move outside range of the grav cannons. Mucolids both move towards DraigoStar but are well away from being able to launch an assault. The first ripper swarm sits tight while the first Lictor scoots a bit closer to DraigoStar while remaining behind LoS blocking terrain.

Looks like the Tyranids have decided to go defensive and play it cagey this turn.

DraigoStar: FB, StWL
Tyranids: 0


4th Turn - DraigoStar
Stormraven re-enters airspace from ongoing reserves. Scouts and five man Strike squad automatically come in as well. The full Strike squad in the Stormraven splits into combat squads (declared before first turn in correct order) and paratroop - one combat squad has the Justicar and both psycannons which lands with no scatter close to my Emperor's Will objective marker. The other combat squad scatters into cover taking no wounds from dangerous terrain checks. The third strike squad deep strikes into a ruin in my opponent's deployment... Again no losses due to dangerous terrain. The landspeeder Storm carrying the scouts comes in behind my Emperor's Will objective marker in position to heavy flamer one of the ripper swarms. The Stormraven carries on a bit further ahead of my objective marker.

DraigoStar moves into a ruin in case Gate fails to go off successfully.

I successfully cast Gate - DraigoStar teleports back close to my Emperor's Will objective marker with little scatter. I then successfully cast Shrouded. Tigurius shrieks one ripper swarm removing a base with two wounds on another. Finally I attempt to cast Perfect Timing which goes off as well.

The two Strike combat squads run and get within the shrouded bubble - Stormraven and landspeeder Storm are shrouded as well. Storm heavy flamers the wounded ripper swarm removing another base. Scouts shoot them to bring it down to one wound on the last base. DraigoStar splitfires removing two Lictors.

4th Turn - Tyranids
The last Mucolid automatically comes in from reserve deep striking close to the five man Strike squad in my opponent's deployment zone.

The Mawloc drops on top of DraigoStar but scatters off this time.

The remaining ripper swarm punches itself in the face (failed it's instinctive behavior check) and loses two wounds on one base.

The wounded Flyrant drop back and enters glide mode to target the five man Strike squad in their deployment zone. The other Flyrant swoops forward towards my objective marker. The last Lictor moves towards its objective marker remaining behind LoS blocking terrain.

The wounded Flyrant targets the five man Strike squad killing three - Justicar and one psycannon survive, passing their break check. The other Flyrant targets the Storm and wrecks it... Scouts bail out losing two but pass their break check.

DraigoStar: FB, StWL
Tyranids: 0

I had a good lead at this point with pretty much most of my army on the table. Tyranids are down to two Flyrants and the Mawloc for heavy lifting. No point to take any big risks. The two Grey Knights in the backfield shoot the Flyrant with one wound and take it down. My opponent concedes and I accept.

- Post Game Analysis -
My dice were my MVP. Going first with DraigoStar is huge for the alpha strike and should score First Blood versus a lot of armies. If I can get a lead early on then no need to roll lots of psychic powers. Sometimes being shrouded is better than Invisibility and obviously is much more reliable.

I played at ATC last year with a daemon FMC heavy army versus Centurion Star... The sheer amount of fire power is crazy even without a lot of psychic buffs. DraigoStar is very strong in mėlee as well plus the splitfire allows you to focus on one unit in the shooting phase then multi assault others. You can destroy multiple units in one turn if your opponent is not careful.

Protecting your ObjSec units is very important. I prefer scouts over tactical Marines for this type of list - much cheaper, can outflank or infiltrate and are no slouches in mėlee versus eldar or Tau troops. I like the Strike squads a lot too as they are basically an elite MEQ unit.

I will be bringing the army to a local tourney this weekend so maybe some new batreps soon . If it does well I might take this to TempleCon .