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With the new unit ready, I sought out a second game, and the challenge was accepted by a rather experienced Tyranid player whom I'd run into a few times at the FLGS.

This time the store was quite busy as well, so not only did we get to have a catfight between the bright and the brooding hive fleets, but we got spectators as well!

Sadly though, only one picture...

The Fight Club rules are in the first report, on http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/538757.page

One extra rule was added since the first time I played, the Fight Club games no longer use variable game length, they are now fixed at 5 turns.

A side note on my list...

How I select them is based on an Excel sheet that links into C++ code. It contains every unit I am currently capable of fielding, and the system calculates a Preference score for each unit based on:

- How often have I played the unit before. The more I have played it, the lower the preference.
- How often was the unit in a game where I won, drew or lost. Winners have a higher preference.
- Which armies were those results against? If for instance, I always lose against Eldar and suddenly get a win, the units in that game get a bigger boost to their preference for pulling that stunt off.
- How long it has been since I last used that specific unit.

Yes, the games I play are very much casual in nature The main goal is to have a couple hours of fun playing with plastic little monsters, learning about the game and my monsters. Oh and yes, winning would be nice but is by no means top of the list. I'll worry about that once I feel like having a look at local tournaments.

So what did the system generate for me? I knew the HQ, as I have just one for now, but what else??

My units, the brooding tyranids:

HQ: Hive Tyrant with 2x TL-Devourers, Hive commander. 1 Tyrant guard stock.
Troops: 3x Ripper swarm The baby nids!
Other: A pair of Hive Guard.

Total: 415 points.

My opponent's bright Tyranids:

HQ: Hive Tyrant, 1x TL-Devourers, Bonesword and Lashwhip, Armoured Shell.
Troops: 8 Genestealers, Broodlord with Scything Talons.
Other: Carnifex, 2x TL-Devourers.

Total: 575 points.

I get to draw from the easy deck of Objectives and get:

Primary: Have a Troops choice survive the game and finish the game in a piece of terrain in the opponent's deployment zone.
Secondary: In each shooting phase, have one of my units not shoot.

Objectives are secret so at that point I don't know what the bright Tyranids will be trying to accomplish.


Pre-game thoughts:

Ouch There's just 10 models on the table for the bright Tyranids, but it won't be easy to get rid of them. I have to make absolutely sure that I don't let the Genestealers make it into assault with any of my guys, even the Tyrant as rending hurts. The dakka from the Fex will be dangerous as well of course but I feel I can take him down, I can throw the same amount of dakka back from my Tyrant.
His Tyrant on the other hand, I will just have to try and stay away from him. His 2+ armour will protect him a lot better from my shooting, and I don't want him in CC with my Tyrant due to the Bonesword/Lashwhip.
Also I didn't curse my homebrewn system when it picked the Ripper unit, after all I did want to see them in action at some point to see how they work on the table, but it won't be easy to keep them alive, nevermind get them into the enemy deployment zone. The Hive Guard aren't exactly the best match against his army either, Strength 8 shots is nice but the AP4 isn't going to do much here.. It looks like the bulk of the work will have to be done by my Tyrant, just like last time around.
I did think of outflanking the Rippers and just have them slip into terrain from the flanks when they come in, but I remembered just in time that they die all on their own when daddy isn't near them...

We effectively only really used a quarter of a table. We rolled for table sides and so what we ended up with was:

My side of the table had a big ruin on it (with very few windows, so a good LOS blocker), with a very large entrance at the back, and an MC sized entrance at the front. On his side there are two large chunks of area terrain that look like bits of a crashed and exploded Wave Serpent..

Warlord Traits: didn't matter. One was objective based and there are no objectives, the other didn't come into play either.

Psychic Powers:
My Tyrant: Endurance and Life Leech.
His Tyrant: Psychic Scream and Puppet Master.
His broodlord: codex powers.

Ran wins the roll for first turn.

He sets up his two MCs 12" away from the centerline, in area terrain. The Genestealers will infiltrate.
I set up with my Tyrant and the rippers 12" away from the centerline, in the big ruin and out of LOS of his MCs. The pair of Hive Guard sets up completely behind the entire ruin, where he wouldn't be able to get LOS to them for a few turns at least.

The Genestealers then infiltrate and due to my Nids being so well hidden, they can actually infiltrate to just 12" away from my units, out of LOS due to the ruin walls.

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BrightNids turn 1:

The two big monsters advance through the area terrain. The Genestealers sneak up to the wall.

The walls are keeping his units from getting LOS, so sno fire:



BroodNids turn 1:

I move my Hive Tyrant out of the ruins to the right to shoot the Genestealers. The rippers move back a bit to stay near daddy.

The two Hive Guards and the Hive Tyrant shoot at the unit of Genestealers. When all is said, done, impaked and brain eaten, only the broodlord survives. With just 1 wound remaining!



The Broodlord was at the corner so in cover but my Tyrant could see him. He used a lot of LoS to even survive..



Automatically Appended Next Post:
BrightNids turn 2:

The enemy warlord advances implaceably, crunching bits of terrain underhoof. The Carnifex notices all the shots killing his buddies the stealers.

He sees my warlord and unleashes hell with the pair of twin-linked devourers. My Tyrant Guard valiantly jumps in the path of the incoming mass of brainleeches,and is promptly devoured. The Hive Tyrant himself does not escape either, he takes a wound. 1 remaining.

The broodlord moves into the big ruin and charges at the Rippers. He puts two wounds on one Ripper base, the Rippers fail to do anything in return.



Although I'd love to return fire upon the Carnifex in revenge for the fallen heroic Tyrant Guard, I really need to save the Rippers as I need them for my primary objective. The Tyrant clambers back into the ruins.

Then I make a mistake. I move the Hive Guards forwards (I think they were just out of range of the Carnifex) and have them shoot the Carnifex. They do inflict a single wound on him.

Stefan the Hive Tyrant then charges the Broodlord and kills him. Everyone consolidates back between the walls.





Automatically Appended Next Post:
BrightNids Turn 3:

His Hive Tyrant maneuvers to exactly 12.1 inch away from mine. The Tyrant approaches the gap at the front of the ruins.

The Hive Tyrant first fires his single set of Devourers at my Hive Tyrant, no shots get through.
He then casts Puppet Master on my Hive Tyrant, but my Tyrant raises his middle Devourer and denies the witch.

The Carnifex in the meantime fires at the Hive Guard now. One Guard dies, the other one has a single wound remaining.



BroodingNids turn 3:

I have a plan! I need to get the Rippers into that massive area terrain. So the solution is simple... I will run them forwards, shoot everything I have at the Carnifex and if he lives charge with the Rippers and the Tyrant. The rippers will so be moving faster and the Tyrant should kill the Carnifex... Easy!

HT casts Endurance on himself again as well.
So I move the HT into the gap so he can charge through open ground. I move the rippers close to the wall so they see the Carnifex through the window.

Shots from the HT and the one Hive Guard wound the Carnifex twice, he has 1 wound remaining.

The rippers charge. Thanks to the cover of the wall, only 1 Devourer hits in overwatch, which kills the wounded ripper. The rippers then make it into base contact.
Then I roll charge distance for my Hive Tyrant. He needs a 5. I roll.... 1,1.

So the CC is the Carnifex against just the two ripper bases. Both at I1 as I charged through the small window...

Carnifex rolls first, and squishes the rippers. I then roll the attacks from the little Rippers. And... One actually makes it through! They inflict a single wound, the Carnifex dies. Bitten to death by the baby Tyranids! Those three bases are now officially called the Anklebiters



BrightNids turn 4:

No psychic shenanigans this time. His Tyrant is well within SitW range and he doesn't want to risk a Perils. The Tyrant is the only model alive now on his side, but at full health...

He shoots the Devourers, another wound gone on my Hive Tyrant. I think this was the only time Endurance actually did anything, one wound was saved by FnP.

His Tyrant then charges mine and attacks first due to the lashwhip. He does hit once, I pass the Ld test for the Bonesword. My return attacks are better than expected, I actually hit twice. Once again, It Will Not Die does nothing.



BroodNids turn 4:

Right. My Tyrant is in CC with a CC better kitted for CC. I have 1 wound and will go second, he has two wounds. The big question is, do I try to get Endurance up for the FnP and IWND buff or not? Inside the SitW bubble it's risky for sure... I decide to go for it and... 1, 6, 1. My Hive Tyrant suffers a massive brain aneurysm and expires. His Tyrant consolidates into the ruins.

Now I would like to still do two things.

1) Get my secondary objective. So I need to not shoot with the Hive Guard this turn.
2) Not be tabled.

The Hive Guard is out of LOS now but the Tyrant will reach him. However, if he can make it around the corner on the right side of the ruins, it looks like the HT will not be able to reach a location with LOS.... All I need is a 5inch run... I move. I run. I roll 2. My Hive Guard stays in the open :(





Automatically Appended Next Post:
BrightNids Turn 5:

His Hive Tyrant moves towards my sole living model. Mind it's also his sole living model.

He then casts Psychic Shriek at the Hive Guard. He passes the Psychic Test. The power hits.

I now need to roll 7 or less on 3d6 and.... It's a 9. My Hive Guard dies, and game over.



Survivors? One enemy Hive Tyrant with 2 wounds remaining.

My Objectives:

Primary: End the game with a Troops choice in terrain in the enemy deployment zone. Obviously failed.
Secondary: In each of my shooting phases, one unit must not shoot.
So turn 1, the rippers. Turn 2, the rippers. Turn 3, the rippers. Turn 4, the one Hive Guard. Done!
We actually forgot here that my turn still happened (as you only auto-lose at the end of a game turn) but so be it... I got marked on the Fight Club board with 1 point for the secondary.

Enemy Objectives:
Primary: Have a living warlord at the end of the game, Challenge my Warlord, Kill my warlord. The Broodlord actually challenged the HT earlier in CC, so all objectives met.
Secondary: Have none of your own units remaining in your deployment zone at end of game: Passed.

I lose, 4-1.

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Well that all went pretty much as I had expected really. Playing against other Tyranids meant that this time, I knew pretty much what the enemy units could do, and hence what to expect of the battle.

I did make a mistake moving the Hive Guard into LOS of Devourer shots for sure, but otherwise there isn't much I would have done differently. I'm still convinced charging the Fex with Rippers and HT was the right move, if only the HT had made his charge roll. And although I did get tabled, it was close at least.

Also, none of my units disappointed me here. They all did what I expected of them. The HG were instrumental in eliminating the Genestealer threat, and did some minor damage to the MCs, as expected. The Rippers did a lot more than I would have expected, surviving the attacks of a Broodlord and actually taking down that Carnifex before they died. The HT is once again, man of the match though. I'm beginning to really see why all other experienced Nid players keep saying that Tyrants, with all Devourers, are vital. I need to build me a flying one some time soon..
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I don't think anyone has pulled that kind of shenanigans yet though. Especially as that specific shop isn't really where the "competetive" games are, that is the "laid back" store.

Also, under the newer rules your VP now gets multiplied by how much weaker you are. So if I bring 2K and my opponent 500 points, he would get 4VP for every official VP.

The games I played so far all had both players agreeing on an approximate size beforehand though, to keep it fun.
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