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I had a game with Skinnereal from Dakka Dakka on Saturday. He's only got into the same since Christmas though used to collect back in the Rogue Trader days. This is his first real game so I will be helping with tactics and rules etc through out the game.

Tyranids

HQ

Tervigon - crushing claws, adrenal glands, toxin sacs, catalyst & onslaught

Elite

2 x Hive Guard

2 x Hive Guard

Troops

Tervigon - crushing claws, adrenal glands, toxin sacs, catalyst & onslaught

10 x Termagants

10 x Termagants

8 x Genestealers

8 x Genestealers

Total: 994


Space Marines

HQ

Librarian - terminator armour, storm shield, avenger & nullzone

Elite

5 x Assault Terminators - 5 x thunder hammers & storm shields

Dreadnought - multi melta

Dreadnought - multi melta

Troops

10 x Tactical Marines w/ Rhino - meltagun & missile launcher - sgt w/ teleporter homer

10 x Tactical Marines w/ Rhino - meltagun & missile launcher - sgt w/ teleporter homer


Total: 1,000


Game: We kept it simple and went for pitched battle and kill points instead of rolling for it.

Deployment

I lost the roll off and Ian deployed first. He put his two missile launcher combat squads in a ruin in the centre of his board edge, I told him to do this as my 'Stealers would be outflanking and I'd chew them up - he did have a large building in the centre blocking LOS or giving cover, but better than dead Marines, right? Then either flank of the building he put a Rhino, I suggested putting the Dreadnoughts in front to give cover and take the brunt thanks to the stronger armour. Terminators stopped in reserve.

I deployed my Nids splitting my army into two halves and keeping the 'Stealers in reserve, each flank had a wall of Termagants then Hive Guard then a Tervigon keeping synapse and getting cover.




* Tactical Notes

My plan here is to send the Termagants to assault the Dreadnoughts, they won't do any damage but will tarpit them until the Tervigons can get in close and use the 2D6 armour pen and the claws to cause some destruction. I'll use the Hive Guard to pop armour which the 'Stealers can assault the squads inside and maul them. Terminators I'll tarpit with Termagants until the 'Stealers can assault them and take them out. I'm not massively worried about the missile launchers as there's only two of them.

Turn 1

Ian moves his Dreadnoughts forward popping smoke on them and using them to shield the Rhinos.

Shooting his missile launchers unleash frags on the Termagants cutting a handful down.

My turn I move the swarm forward spawning Termagants (spawning 10 from one and about 5 from another).

Shooting Hive Guard blast each Rhino scoring weapon destroyed on the one on the left flank and shaken on the one on the right flank.





* Tactical Notes

Ok nothing really note worth happened in the first turn. I lost about 5 Termagants but gained about 15 back so not so bad trade off. Damage to both armies has been pretty limited, c'mon those reserves!

Turn 2

Ian calls for reserves but nothing appears. Movement he sends the Dreadnoughts forward with the Rhinos moviing about, the shaken one he keeps hidden behind the ruin in the centre of the board, as I told him he doesn't want to get out those transports any time soon and to fire from the hatch when he can.

Shooting Dreadnoughts fire at Hive Guard but thanks to Ian's bad luck of rolling to hit and to wound nothing happens; his dice really like 1's! He does manage to frag a unit of Termagants and earn himself a kill point.

I call for reserves and both Genestealers come in on the left flank, I run them at the same time moving one unit towards the Rhino and the other towards the Dreadnought. I spawn more Termagants (11 and 10) but burn out the HQ Tervigon in the process.

Shooting Hive Guard blast the Rhino on the right flank scoring weapon destroyed and shaken again while the Dreadnought on the left flank gets shot but nothing happens.

In assault 'Stealer charge the Dreadnought and Rhino, Rhino is wrecked but squad passes pinning test while the combat between the Dreadnought and 'Stealers falls into a stalemate.

Kill point tracker - Tyranids: 1 Space Marines: 1





Tactical Notes

Ok it's going well but we're even stevens at the moment. I've lost a unit of Termagants which doesn't affect the army but does affect the kill points, hopefully in this small game I can just swamp the Space Marines so the amount of units I spawn shouldn't matter too much. I have managed to wreck a Rhino which means a combat squad is exposed ready to assault or shoot in future turns, though I fear my Genestealers are going to get blasted by bolter shots.

Turn 3

Ian calls for reserves and Terminators arrive using the sgts teleporter homer from the wrecked Rhino, the Terminators land near the Dreadnought ready to help in assault. Combat squad blown out the Rhino move ready to unleash a torrent of shells. Combat squad from the shaken Rhino bail out and move towards a unit of Termagants ready to give them rapid fire death.

Shooting Genestealers get hammered by bolters, frag and meltagun and are all deaded. Termagants get blasted by a combat squad but Ian's dice rolls are rubbish and he fails to kill them. Dreadnought fires multi melta at Tervigon but Ian's bad luck of rolls carries on...

My turn move the swarm forward putting a unit of Hive Guard in the centre ruin and moving three Termagant units towards the shaken Rhino and Dreadnought on the right flank as the HQ Tervigon lumbers behind, the Tervigon casts feel no pain on the Termagant unit ready to assault the Rhino but the Librarians psychic hood stops it. The other Tervigon spawns a crap load of Termagants (15 I think) but burns out, I move Termagants forward ready to unleash mass fleshborers at the combat squad which just shot at them.

Shooting both Hive Guard unleash a torrent of fire power at the Terminators and kill three of them, they pass morale. Combat squad gets blasted by Termagants leaving just two Marines left who pass morale.

In assault Termagants on the right flank charge the Rhino and Dreadnought with two units, the Rhino is immobilised. Termagants charge the combat squad and wipe them out. Genestealers lose combat but hang on in the fight.

Kill point tracker - Tyranids: 2 Space Marines: 2



* Tactical Notes

Ok everything is going pretty well and things are falling into place. On the right flank the Dreadnought is swamped by two units of Termagants so it ain't going any where and the Rhino is now immobilised, if I can move the Tervigon into combat against the Dreadnought hopefully it will finish it off. Left flank is doing ok, I'm quite surprised how many Terminators the Hive Guard managed to take out so that's a big help thinning them out and I've tackled a combat squad too. The 'Stealers aren't going too well against the Dreadnought which is starting to irritate me so I will bring up the Tervigon to assault it once those nasty Terminators are locked in assault with Termagants.

Turn 4

Ian moves his last melta combat squad towards the 'Stealer vs Dreadnought fight hoping to even the odds and take advantage that my Genestealers cannot attack him this turn. He moves the Terminators towards a unit of Termagants.

Shooting the Librarian tries to use avenger but the shadow of the warp is strong and fails getting a double 6 among the results, luckily the warp doesn't claim a wound on the Librarian. Frags fire some more one scatters does nothing the other gets some more Termagants.

Assault melta combat squad charges the 'Stealers, Dreadnought loses the dccw but the combat squad stay combat as they lost the fight thanks to the Dreadnought. Terminators charge Termagants and smash them all getting a kill point.

In my turn I move Termagants up to unleash a torrent of fire power into the Terminators as the troop Tervigon casts feel no pain on itself without any problems and runs through the centre ruin. The HQ Tervigon manages to cast feel no pain on the Termagant unit which is going to re-charge the immobilised Rhino while is runs into terrain is on the ground floor, though just placed on top for easyness.

Shooting Hive Guard start blasting a combat squad killing two Marines, they pass morale ok. Termagants blast the Terminators, don't think they kill any.

In assault Termagants charge the Terminators and kill two earning a kill point and wound the Librarian, the fight remains on. Termagants charge and wreck the immobilised Rhino while the Dreadnought carries on smacking a single Termagant unit, leaving a single model left. Genestealers manage to cause some wounds on the combat squad again but they're starting to thin out themselves, the fight rages on.

Kill point tracker - Tyranids: 4 Space Marines: 3





* Tactical Notes

Everything is falling into place now, the right flank is pretty much neturalised with the Rhino totalled and the Dreadnought still isn't going any where and my Tervigon is right on the doorstep. On the left flank the Genestealers have ripped off the dccw which means it's not a threat to my Tervigon, which I've cast feel no pain on in case those krak missiles blast it. Termagants have wiped out the Terminator squad leaving the wounded Librarian fighting for his life.

Turn 5

No movement from Ian, he has nothing to move or doesn't want to move anything.

Shooting kraks blast the Tervigon but Ian's bad luck continues.

In assault the combat squad start getting chopped down but the right rages on. The Dreadnought on the right flank fails to kill that single Termagant denying that precious kill point.

In my turn I move the troop Tervigon troops the Dreadnought tied up with the Genestealers along with a small unit of Termagants while the HQ Tervigon moves through terrain to tackle the other Dreadnought as the Termagants which wrecked the Rhino move to blast a missile launcher squad.

Shooting Termagants kill a single Marine from the missile squad.

In assault HQ Tervigon explodes the Dreadnought getting me a kill point while the Termagants finish off the combat squad getting another and I think the Dreadnought is taken out, I cannot remember. I do lose a Termagant unit thanks to the Librarian.

Kill point tracker - Tyranids: 6(7) Space Marines: 4





Game ends thanks to getting a 2 giving Tyranids the win.

Summary

Interesting game as I rarely play small point games. Ian did well considering this is his first game, he followed my advice most the time and stuck to it managing to kill the bugs but the Tervigons just kept spawning more. It's a shame his combat squad didn't really do much in combat against the Genestealers, not really much of a combat squad then huh lol.

My plan went well though. The Dreadnoughts got swamped by units they couldn't take out in combat letting the Tervigons move up and bash them in assault. The Terminators I was surprised went down easily, though mass Termagants with furious charge and toxin sacs can be a massive help and the barrage from the Hive Guard did cut them down a great deal.

Enjoyable game and hopefully Ian learnt the game better and tactics. His list I made from him based upon his old list, if I was going to change it personally I'd take assault cannons on the Dreadnoughts or better yet two autocannons then drop the Terminators add a third Tactical Squad and give all squads Razorbacks with lascannons which will give him a lot more ranged fire power and a little extra melta. In this game he just didn't have volume of fire power. Hopefully I can game Ian again, and you never know he might try a list like that!

Thanks for the game, Mercer.

I started with Marines from AoBR, and have bought a few more after that game. There's more firepower needed, as I really only had Meltas and MLs to make any difference with. The Dreads did far better than I thought, though, since the Gaunts refused to retreat.

Splitting the tac squads went well, but would a full squad have done better in CC?

I really need new dice. My box from GW rolled 1s 25% of the time? Dead terminators on their first turn in combat :(

The Librarian's hood helped lots, once I'd remembered he had it. Once in range, it slowed the gaunt spawns.

Not sure how much will carry over to Eldar, with assault instead of full auto. Will have to see how a Wraithlord compares to a Dreadnought.

Good game, and it could have gone either way, with the rolls.

No problem Ian was nice to meet you and I enjoyed having a smaller game for once

A full squad would have done better in c.c but Tactical Squads do not belong in combat. I only suggested to you charging them because what else would you do? There's no Rhino to hide in and the Marines was out of LOS to shoot anything long range and if they moved out of range shooting with rapid fire.

Yeah a lot 1's that game for you. You lost a squad of Terminators over two turns and I don't think your Dreadnoughts wounded anything shooting at all thanks to poor rolls.

I forgot about the hood, shouldn't do because I run Librarians myself! It did come in handy. The only thing that affects is feel no pain as it's a psychic power, the spawning is a ability and I burnt both Tervigons out because I rolled doubles.

I used to play Eldar and Wave Serpents are pretty awesome.

I did do a new list on the FB group did you see it? If not it's:

Librarian - avenger & nullzone

Dreadnought - 2 x twin-linked autocannons
Dreadnought - 2 x twin-linked autocannons

10 x Tactical Marines w/ Razorback - meltagun & missile launcher - Razorback w/ twin-linked lascannon
10 x Tactical Marines w/ Razorback - meltagun & missile launcher - Razorback w/ twin-linked lascannon
10 x Tactical Marines w/ Razorback - meltagun & missile launcher - Razorback w/ twin-linked lascannon

I think that's over points actually, maybe take two Razorbacks and a unit of Scouts with a missile launcher with Sgt Telion for the BS5 missile launcher?