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Had a game with Dave with his hive fleet undercoat. Thought I'd bring out the Imperial Guard as not played with them for ages, rock on!

Imperial Guard "Steel Lions" - 2,000 points


HQ

Company Command Squad w/ Chimera - 4 x plasma guns

Company Command Squad w/ Chimera - 4 x plasma guns

Troops

Veterans w/ Chimera - 3 x meltaguns

Veterans w/ Chimera - 3 x meltaguns

Veterans w/ Chimera - 3 x meltaguns

Veterans w/ Chimera - 3 x plasma guns

Veterans w/ Chimera - 3 x plasma guns

Fast Attack

Vendetta

Vendetta

Hellhound

Heavy Support

Manticore - heavy flamer

Manticore - heavy flamer

Manticore - heavy flamer

Total: 2,005


Tyranids "Hive Fleet Undercoat" - 2,000 points

HQ

Tyranid Prime - lash whip & bonesword

Elites

3 x Hive Guard

3 x Hive Guard

10 x Ymgarl Genestealers

Troops

Tervigon - adrenal glands, toxin sacs & catalyst

Tervigon - adrenal glands, toxin sacs & catalyst

10 x Termagants

10 x Termagants

10 x Genestealers w/ adrenal glands

Heavy Support

2 x Carnifexes - 2 x twin-linked devourers

2 x Carnifexes - 2 x twin-linked devourers

Total: 2,001

Game: Pitched Battle + Anniliation

Deployment

I lost the roll off and Dave deployed first putting a line of Tyranids in the centre of the board, the Hive Guard giving cover to the monstrous creatures. The Genestealers were held in reserve.

I mirrored Daves deployment castling up my forces in the centre and use terrain for cover on the vehicles. I deployed meltas on the front where possible, then plasma CCS and plasma Veterans behind and in front. The Hound was at the front too. Vendettas flanked either side of the castle while Manticores stayed behind to direct fire but would get cover save thanks to armour in front.



* Tactical Notes

My first targets will be the Hive Guard as these are Daves only ranged anti tank units. Without these he cannot open my tanks which means no assaulting my weak Guardsmen. It's not so bad when he assaults armour because my troops either will be blown out the transport or get out next turn and unleash the pain. I'll blast the Hive Guard with lascannons and Manticores to thin them out, will probably take some punishment. After that I'll have to be brave and get out my tanks to receive orders and plasma the monstrous creatures to pieces. I'll use the tanks flamers on the smaller bugs along with the Hellhound.

Turn 1

I attempt to steal the initiative as some of the Hive Guard are out in the open so some first turn shooting at them with no armour or cover saves would be nice, but it doesn't happen.

Dave moves his horde forward moving the Hive Guard on each flank, both units hiding in terrain, the unit on the right flank is supported by a Tervigon and Prime/Fex deathstar.

Shooting Dave manages to wreck a Chimera with meltas inside though my squad passes morale and stuns and immobilises the Hellhound.

I move the Vendetta on the left flank so the melta squad can move into cover where most my armour has deployed and then the plasma CCS behind the wreck can move out. I move a plasma Veteran tank through the centre terrain ok in order to get LOS while one behind moves up to take its place as the other CCS tank just sits there. I move the Manticores a little bit in case Genestealers appear and try auto hitting.

Shooting the left flank Vendetta fires and wounds the Hive Guard unit three times, fail all cover saves leaving two left one wounded, I follow up the volley with multi laser shots and kill the remaining two giving me a kill point. I blast the other Vendetta at a Tervigon who has no cover and put two wounds on it. I unleash the Manticores at the other Hive Guard squad, after firing only a single Hive Guard of the last unit remains. The Manticores also put a wound on a Carnifex and kill a few Termagants.

Imperial Guard: 1 Tyranids: 1



* Tactical Notes

Ok a good turn for me nailing a massive bulk of Daves anti tank. He now has a single Hive Guard left and I'm not worried about two shots really. I've only got one kill point so far, but with all those Hive Guard gone that's a massive dent out of Daves army and offense.

Turn 2

Dave rolls for reserves but gets two 1's so nothing comes in. He starts spawning some Termagants but burns a Tervigon out, in fact he burnt one out turn 1 if I remember right. He moves the deathstar unit through the shrine ruin keeping one Fex out of terrain to get some side armour shots on a melta Chimera. The other two Fexes plod down the left flank towards the Vendetta while Termagants and Tervigon move up the centre. Some Termagants run off and hide in terrain on Dave's table edge, two units if I remember right.

Shooting the Fexes on the left flank crew shake the Vendetta. Fex which can see blasts side armour of a Chimera on the right flank, scores two weapon destroyed results and immobilised. Hive Guard fires at the stunned and immobilised Hound but does nothing.

My turn I turbo boost the shaken Vendetta so it at least gets cover save next turn. I move the CCS on the left flank towards the Fexes with a plasma Veteran unit, I bail both units out ready to drop down plasma death. I attempt to move the other CCS through terrain but their tank gets grounded, nice. I move the rest of the armour about slightly so nothing can be auto hit.

Shooting I issue bring it down with the CCS to its own squad and the Veterans, they blast and wipe the Fexes off the table in a torrent of plasma earning me a kill point. I long shot plasma with the Veteran unit supporting the CCS stuck in terrain and the other Vendetta at the Tervigon, it dies and kills several Termagants but doesn't wipe out any units. With the the two Chimeras in the centre terrain piece I fire multi lasers into Termagants hiding in the ground floor of the tower ruin, I blast more multi lasers and even a Manticore as I have nothing else to fire at them and they pass morale test. I use the two other Manticores to blow away the last Hive Guard and even the Hellhound but fail, though I manage to put another wound on the Prime-Fex unit.

Imperial Guard: 3 Tyranids: 1




* Tactical Notes

I'm not a fan of getting my weak Guardsmen out of the tanks, but to bring those monstrous creatures down quickly and reliably I need to issue orders and in this case it paid off. Sure there's a few Termagants nearby but I've thinned those out thanks to multi laser and Manticore fire so they won't be a huge threat to my exposed units.

Next turn I'll use the flamers on the Chimeras on the left to blow away thsoe Termagants along with plasma fire. I'll use the single Vendetta to fire across the board and blow that Hive Guard to kingdom come. The deathstar unit I'll have to wait until it exposes itself or continue to cheap wounds off it and when it comes close blow away with mass plasma and melta.

Turn 3

Dave calls for reserves and the Ymgarls pop up in the terrain piece the bulk of my vehicles have been camping in, he then moves a beaten Termagant unit back towards the shrine ruin to stop them giving a kill point away at the deathstar unit moves through terrain with the Tervigon following behind. The Termagants on the left flank eye up the CCS and Veterans.

Shooting, Termagants blast the CCS killing one model and blast the Veterans with the other unit, who gets cover saves and passes all saves. Carnifex blasts the Chimera again and manages to wreck it, squad passes pinning test and hide in the ruin as the exit was against the building. Hive Guard rails a Chimera on the left flank but only shakes it.

In assault Ymgarls multi assault the Hound, two Manticores and the plasma Veteran Chimera supporting the CCS. The Hound is wrecked, one Manticore is crew shaken the other one is weapon destroyed twice and crew shaken and the Chimera crew shaken.

My turn I attempt to move the shaken plasma Chimera forward so I can bail out the squad to plasma the Ymgarls but it gets grounded in terrain! I bail out the CCS, though I still have the earlier melta squad in the upper ruins of the terrain which I held back from turn 1. I move all remaining armour so nothing gets auto hit. The melta unit blown out their tank by the Carnifex moves up through terrain to get better LOS. The two squads on the left flank get back into the transports for safety.

Shooting CCS issues fire on my target to his own unit and the melta unit, the Ymgarls eat plasma and half are left passing morale. Vendetta frags the last Hive Guard. Termagants are out of range of plasma, flamer does some damage but they pass morale! I blast the deathstar unit with two melta units and the operational Manticore, one Fex dies other is left with a single wound and the Prime is I.D'd by the Manticore, ho ho ho.

In assault Ymgarls wreck the weaponless Manticore but do nothing to the other Chimera.

Imperial Guard: 5 Tyranids: 3




* Tactical Notes

Ok bummer things have changed. The Ymgarls have come in and started dishing out the pain, I had some bad luck getting that tank immobilised but I read the rules last night and a tank in combat can pivot and move as it just moves the models out the way so mental note made for next time, if I knew that then I would have moved the tank and the only reason I didn't do it was because the models were within 1" but it makes sense vehicles can still drive off.

My plan next turn is to finish off those two Termagants on the left flank as they're easy kill points, probably bring the other CCS down as the CCS in terrain is probably going to die - my plan of blocking them off didn't work thanks to the wrecked Manticore. The Carnifex I'll hopefully slay as it only has a single wound left.

Turn 4

Genestealers finally arrive but outflank on the right side of the table out of the action. Single Carnifex moves through terrain towards the Veterans hiding in the first floor of the ruin with the meltas, the Tervigon rumbles behind too.

Shooting Termagants on the left flank cannot do anything. Carnifex rails the Guardsmen with devourers only three die after cover saves and they hold position.

In assault Tervigon assaults a melta Chimera, does nothing. Carnifex manages to make it into terrain but combat with the Guardsmen, I score two wounds which the Fex passes and the Guardsmen hang in assault - not what I wanted. Ymgarls move through terrain charge the immobilised Chimera and CCS, CCS all die Chimera suffers no damage the Ymgarls consolidate no where.

My turn I move the last CCS 12" towards the centre ruin where I deployed, they bail out. The Manticore nearby moves to get the heavy flamer on the Ymgarls as the other Manticore targets the Genestealers. The Vendetta on the left flank lines itself up to blast the Tervigon out in the open.

Shooting I issue fire on my target to the CCS itself and bring it down on the melta unit in the upper ruins as I suspect the heavy flamer and mass plasma will deal with the five remaining Ymgarls and I need to take wounds from the Tervigon. Plasma Veterans on the left flank fire at the Termagants and kill them while the tank burns another unit which fail morale and run off. Ymgarls all die to a hail of plasma and heavy flamer. Tervigon starts taking wounds from lascannons and meltas. Manticore fires at the Genestealers with the last of its shots, two scatter but the other hits but only kills one after cover saves.

In assault Guardsmen and Carnifex duke it out but the Guardsmen stay in the fight, brave fellows but only two left!

Imperial Guard: 8 Tyranids: 4



* Tactical Notes

I'm glad I've taken those Ymgarls out as they was starting to get annoying, heavy flamers are just awesome and the fire on my target order is made of win. Those two Termagant units gave up easy kill points too. I was hoping the Guardsmen would either rob the Carnifex of that last wound or fail combat and run off allowing them to shoot it with melta next turn as it wouldn't be in cover but alas it was not to be.

Next turn I'll get the CCS back into the tank just in case and move their tank around to lend multi laser fire. I'll move the other melta squad through terrain to get close to the Tervigon while the meltas in the tank will blast it. The Vendetta I'll move and blast the Carnifex a new one.

Turn 5

Genestealers move closer towards the Guardsmen Carnifex fight as the Tervigon goes for the Manticore.

Shooting Tervigon fires into the side armour of the Manticore but does nothing.

In assault one 'Stealer makes it into combat, Guardsmen die and both Tyranids units only consolidate 2" so go no where as on the first floor of the ruin. Tervigon weapon destroys and stuns the Manticore.

My turn I move the CCS around 6" to lend multi laser support as the plasma unit which blasted the Termagants moves down ready for next turn. The melta unit in the upper ruin levels move to get closer into range of the Tervigon as the melta Chimera moves to get LOS on the Carnifex in the building as the Vendetta moves 12" to get over the ruin where the Fex is.

Shooting Tervigon goes down in a hail of melta shots. Carnifex gets taken down by meltas but before the Vendetta misses shooting at it!

Kill points Imperial Guard: 10 Tyranids: 5




Dave concedes as we're getting on for time plus he only has two Termagant units cowering in a ruin his table edge and the Genestealers which cannot do a huge amount.

Imperial Guard win with 10 kill points to 5.

Summary

That was a pretty cool battle. Dave started off well getting a kill point first turn but the blow was dealt in turn 1 with mass fire power taking out all those Hive Guard, sure I only got a single kill point too but it crippled Daves anti tank. After that it was just a case of finishing off that last Hive Guard and dealing with the Genestealers once they arrived and stopping the monstrous creatures before they reached my lines, which worked well on the left flank nailing the two Carnifexes leaving just Termagants to put up a fight and affectively leaving the left flank in my control. The deathstar unit took some wounds but TBH didn't do a fat lot as was just stuck in terrain the entire game, in time I whittled down the wounds with Manticores and meltas and luckily I.D'ing the Prime with Manticore and taking the Fexes down through weight of melta shots.

I made two mistakes. One was getting the CCS back in the transport, could have shot at the Termagants but the transport was shaken so I couldn't, however the Termagants weren't a threat and died next turn plus if the CCS stopped out they couldn't have returned to my deployment zone and reinforced with orders if they got back in the tank if I had actually left them out. Second mistake was not moving the Manticore when Ymgarls did the damage in close combat, I'll remember next turn tanks can pivot which move the models out the way or else it would be impossible for a tank to move as the models would still be in base to base contact meaning the tank cannot be 1" away. If would have moved that tank I could have used it to block and save the CCS and also maybe have the Manticore itself left.

Good game in all and glad to see I haven't lost it with the Guard as I haven't played with them for sometime.

Nice report, I was surprised you managed to knock out the Hive Guard so easily. T6 w/ 4+ cover is nothing to laugh at.

I was under the impression that you needed to declare a Tank Shock! to move through enemy models - even if you were just pivoting in place. I never thought to wonder, but does pivoting count as moving for purposes of Difficult Terrain...?

Me too TBH. Those Hive Guard units had 6 wounds between them, one unit lost one and half Hive Guard to a Vendetta then others in that squad got took down by multi lasers. The other squad got hit by 4 Manticore shots to be fair so I am not surprised.

Check the rules under successive assaults. Says if a unit failed to wreck the tank etc and it can move next turn then the tank can pivot and the models will move out the way, which is handy. Only do tank shock when moving through them, the tank in this case is just moving the models and the attackers are clining onto the tank itself as it moves.

Pivoting doesn't count as moving you only take terrain test for vehicles when moving in and out of terrain and pivoting is not classed as moving. So pivot out of terrain maybe and move away, yay!

I will have to look this up when I get home to my book, thanks for sharing it in this battle report.

It is going to make my Sisters Immolators pretty happy, especially if I can be tricksy and rotate a few of them to 'smash up' some models into a nice flamer shaped cone.

I only noticed it last night when checking on something TBH.