4/2 1500 Game 2: Tyranids

Game 2 and I draw Jason's bugs.  After several losses to his Eldar over the last few weeks I at least feel lucky to now play a different army. :)

His army looks like:

Tyrant – Lash Whip, BoneSword, Old Aversary, Paroxysm, Life Leech, TL –Devoureres w/Brain Leech, Acid Blood 

2 Tyrant Guard with Lash Whips/ Rending Claws
2 Venomtrhopes
3 Zoanthropes with Mycetc Spore
3 Hive Guard
25 Hormagaunts with Toxin Sacs
15 Termagaunts with Toxin Sacs
Tervigon- Catalyst, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs, Scything Talons
Mawloc with Regeneration 

The mission was Dawn of War, 6 turns, with the old Headhunter mission (5kp for HQs, 2 for elites, fasts, heavies, 1 kp for troops and dedicated transports).

We weren't sure how to count the Emperors champ and Tyrant Gaurd, so we decided we would call them both a 5 pt HQ choice.

In case you want a count, that means his army has 22 kps in this scenario to my 28 kp.  Oh and you need 8 kp more to Massacre, 6 and 4 for Major and Minor victories.  D-lightful for a 1500 pt game.

I don't even remember who went first.  I think it was him.  Time is not helping me remember this mission so clearly, so some of this might be slightly off, but it still gives a good impression of how the game went down.

I think this was him after turn 1.

I think on his turn 2 he shuffled some guys around, and the Mawloc went under.  Zoes stayed off the board.

My turn 2 and I got two whole pods in, and that was my elites.  Oh boy.  The dread maybe killed one bug, the termies ran to spread out to try to avoid Mawloc death.

His turn 3 and the Mawloc popped up with a small scatter, and I think that took out one of my TH/SS.

The Zoes stayed off.  He did some shooting but amazingly my dread lives but I think was stunned (or maybe DCCWless?).  The Mawloc runs to try to put some distance from the remaining termies in cover.

My turn 3 and reinforcements arrive in the form of my Marshal w/ Troops and my two HQ-less Troop choices.  I think I also dropped a speeder but kept it back and safe out of the way.  The marshal's squad ran for some cover.  Shooting was minimal, but I did assault his Mawloc with the termies, and figured the dread was going to die soon anyway so charged him into his Hormagant squad.

I killed the Mawloc and consolidated back to cover, and the dread killed a Hormagant.  :p

His turn 4 and his Zoes come down.  They shoot and kill a few marines.  I think his other shooting didn't do much.  His Tyrant is able to slip around to the back of the dread and wreck him, and his little bugs consolidate forward as the Tyrant slips back into cover.

My turn 4 and my last speeder and Champ squad come down off to the left in 'safety' area.  I know I've got to start to bring the assault or I'm just going to be picked apart.  My far left troops assault the termagants.  My termies and my Marshal squad assault his Hormagants.  My Troops on the right assault his Zoantrhopes and I multicharge to put the fist on his pod.  The Damn venom thropes mean there is dangerous terrain and every squad takes at least one casualty, but the one that hurts is my second TH/SS terminator.  Combat goes pretty well.  I can't but wound one Zoe put I do pop the pod.  My other troops win against the Termagants but a few hang tight.  I kill a good number of Hormagants and he takes a number of fearless deaths as well.  He pulls from the terminator squad, and in the end I have to try to consolidate to him but I can't make it.  Unfortunately because I have to move the full distance I am not out of cover, which is where I obviously don't want to be!

His turn 5 and in the excitement I have again forgotten my camera!

His tervigon spits out 9 or so gants put also taps out.  They charge into my troops on the left but I kill some more  and he takes a few fearless saves, but both squads remain.    I think his Hive Gaurd are able to shoot a Speeder down.  The Zoes whiff but I can't wound them either.  His Tyrant charges my termies, one gaurd goes after a pod, and the other taps my marshal.  The result is that my termies and pod die, my Marshal puts a few wounds on his HQ squad, and my remaining squad almost wipes out his remaining hormagant squad.

My turn 5 and there isn't much to move.  My speeder takes cover between a pillar that provides LOS.  My Champs squad charges in to assist the marshal.  In combat I think I finally kill the hormagants, but his Hive Gaurd kill off the rest of the marshals squad.  The Marshal takes two wounds, but puts enough wounds to kill off one of the Tyrant Gaurds.  My troops on the left are able to kill off both his gants squads, and I think my troop on the right kills the wounded Zoanthrope.

His turn 6 and his Hive Gaurd shoot a few of my now free troops dead and charge them with the Venomthropes and manage to kill my fist (doh).  His Tervigon charges and kills a pod.  In combat the Zoes and marines whiff each other.  The remains of my EC squad is killed off by his Hive Gaurd, my mashal dies and my EC is wounded, but his Hive Gaurd dies and his Tyrant is left with one wound.  I now remember my camera for this epic fight to the death!

My turn 6 and all that really matters is the Emperor's champ manages to make 2 4+ invul saves, and then take the one wound off the Hive Tyrant.

To lesser huzzah the Hive Gaurd kill of my squad while losing one guy, and the Zoes and Marines continue to whiff each other.

In the end The Champ came through for me.
I killed his Tyrant (5), Tyrant Gaurd (5), 2 Termagant squads (2), his Hormagant squad (1) and his Pod (1) for 14 points.
He killed my Marshal (5), my Termies (2), my dread (2), 3 troops (3), 1 speeder (2), and two pods (2) for 16.

Since this was less than 4 kps (yay ard boyz missions) this result was actually a draw.  Had the EC failed one of his Invul saves that would have put him at 21 kp and been a majov victory for him.

So once again the last dice rolls of the game determine the result of the game, this time pulling in my favor to eek out a draw.

It was a fun and incredibly fun game.  In any non semi-ridiculous Ard Boyz mission I think I lose this matchup, but with an silly mission and a little luck I feel thankful for the tie.

Next up:  Gus's Tau!