Tyranids vs Death Korps of Kreig

No pictures this time i'm afraid.

1500 pts Tyranid vs Death Korps of Kreig

My list (approx):

Prime; Lash Whip + Bonesword, Devourer, Regen

10 Termagants

Tervigon; Cluster Spines, Catalyst, Toxin Sacs

16 Hormagaunts; Toxin Sacs

6 Genestealers; Broodlord with Scything Talons

6 Genestealers; Broodlord

5 Tyranid Warriors; Devourers, Venom Cannon

2 Hive Guard

2 Hive Guard

2 Venomthropes

Tyrannofex; Cluster Spines, Rupture Cannon, Regen

His list (approx)

Company Command; Carapace, Officer of the Fleet, Autocannon, Vox, Regimental Standard

Platoon

Command Squad; Centaur

Infantry Squad; Commissar with Power Fist, Vet with Power Fist, Vox

Infantry Squad; Vet with Power Fist

Infantry Squad; Vet with Power Fist, Vox

Infantry Squad; Vox

Heavy Weapon Squad; 3 Autocannon

Heavy Weapon Squad; 3 Lascannon

Engineer Squad; Demolition Charge

Hades Breaching Drill

Heavy Mortar x 2

Heavy Mortar x 2

Leman Russ Demolisher; Multi-melta sponsons, Lascannon

Hellhound; Multi-melta

5 Objectives, Pitched Battle

Tyranids win first turn (phew)

I set up fairly aggressively, but with most units in as much cover/area terrain as possible in case of losing the initiative. Hive Guard on either flank just in Synapse. Genestealers outflanking. Prime attached to Venomthropes following Warriors and trying to keep the Tfex within 6”.

The Death Korps setup in the middle of the table with lascannon and autocannon heavy weapons teams each joined to a 10-man squad in two separate ruins in his DZ. CCS, Demolisher and 20 man combined blob in the centre, Hellhound on far right flank, one Heavy Mortar battery on far left flank to act as a buffer in case of ‘stealers.

* Thoughts

Well, the opposing army is very shooty but very static. Those Heavy Mortars and the Hellhound can really do a number on the medium and small bugs whilst the Demolisher and lascannon team are dangerous to my MCs. As the army I picked isn’t very fast I will be relying on the ‘stealers outflanking to get to his backfield artillery (although this is by no means certain with -1 to reserves thanks to the officer of the fleet) so I will be taking at least two or three turns of fire from them. Luckily, the Kreig infantry are stubborn so if I can get in combat and not wipe out his squads I have a good chance of being locked in combat during his turn, keeping the assaulting units safe.

As it is an objective game, I will move up the entire army to midfield and hold there, letting the faster, assault elements charge in an tie up some of his shooting.

Turn 1; Kreig fails to seize!

Tyranids; all move up, most through difficult terrain that slows my advance a bit. Tervigon casts Feel No Pain on the Hormagaunts at the front of my advance.

Hive Guard on the right fire and pop the Hellhound in a ruin. Tfex misses the Demolisher. Warriors Venom Cannon misses Infantry blob.

Kreig; no movement.

Shooting starts with the CCS ordering the lascannons to twin-link at the Tervigon in the open, 2 wounds. Orders re-roll cover saves on autocannon squad against Hormagaunts. Lucky cover and Feel No Pain means I lose a couple. PCS orders blob squad to FRFSRF at Hormagaunts, I lose 1 after cover and FnP. Heavy Mortars squad 1 fires at Hormagaunts, again I get lucky with cover and lose a couple. Heavy Mortar 2 fires at Warriors, more lucky 5+ cover saves from the ‘thrope and I take one wound. Demolisher opens up at the Hormagaunts (only just being in range) and kills 1 after more good cover saves.

Turn 2:

Tyranids; no reserves. Army advances again, everything just within Synapse.

Tervigon spawns 9 gants, no doubles. Casts FnP on Hormagaunts but takes a perils wound.

Both Hive Guard units are just out of range of their targets, as are all the Warriors bar the Venom Cannon which kills a couple of guardsmen. Tfex misses the Demolisher. Horma’s get a good fleet roll, putting them in range of assault with the autocannon squad.

Assault; Hormagaunts kill about 9 in total, take 1 casualty back, Kreig hold.

Kreig; no moving, Hades drill still in reserve.

Shooting sees the lascannons ordered at the Tervigon again and do another two wounds (1 left). Demolisher fires at Warrior squad, after good hits (4 from Demolisher, 1 each from MM and LC) and lucky cover saves, only 1 Warrior falls (phew). 1 Heavy Mortar fires at Warrior squad, does a wound to the Warriors and a wound to the Venomthropes. The other heavy Mortar squad fires at my 10 gants on my right flank but scatters and only kills a couple.

Combat sees my hormies kill all but an autocannon team, who then holds! Damn!

Turn 3.

Tyranids; I get one ‘stealer squad arriving on my choice of side, I bring them on the far left, ready to assault one of the Heavy Mortar squads.

All my army is now arriving in mid-table, I leave the Prime from the Venomthrope unit to join the Warriors sitting on an objective and edge closer. Tervigon spawns 5 gants and burns out, I forget to cast FnP.

Shooting; Tfex finally hits the Demolisher, penetrates and shakes it. Good enough! Hive Guard on the left explode the Centaur, killing 3 guardsmen and pinning the survivors. Hive Guard on the right are out of range of the Demolisher. The Warriors and gants fire into the combined squad in front of them, nailing (I think) 5. The gants are in range for an assault but the Warrior + Prime unit will need a 5 on their difficult terrain test to get in (and most will strike last). Stealers fleet towards the artillery.

Combat; the ‘stealers assault in and wipe out the artillery with little effort (I think I rolled 5x 6’s to wound, although the Broodlord rolled 1x 6 and 3x 1’s to wound). Hormagaunts roll over the last autocannon team and consolidate towards the CCS.

The termagants and warriors try to charge the blob squad. Warriors roll a 4 so don’t make it, leaving 5 gants against the blob. My attacks go off and I kill 1, the blob swings back and kills all the gants. They consolidate back 2”.

Kreig; No Hades drill again. Demolisher moves backwards and pops smoke. CCS faces off against the Hormagaunts. Blob squad moves towards the nearest objective.

Shooting sees the genestealers drop to FRFSRF and the remaining Heavy Mortar squad. CCS kills a hormagaunt with shooting before assaulting in and wiping them out. Something takes the last wound from my Tervigon.

Turn 4.

Tyranids; last ‘stealer squad arrives on table edge of my choice so I bring them on following the previous squad.

Hive Guard and gants both pass LD test since the Tervigon was providing Synapse to their half of the board. Hive Guard move up to try to contest the objective closest to them and the last of the Kreig blob. Warriors stay put in cover on their objective, Tfex moves into the open to try to force the lascannons to fire at him. Other Hive Guard move up near their objective.

Shooting is mixed, with the Tfex and both Hive Guard units failing to dent the paint on the Demolisher, whilst the Warriors + Prime hose down more guardsmen from the blob, leaving the vets, commissar and a couple of normal guys. Genestealers fleet but won’t be in charge range.

Kreig; Hades drill arrives. Scatters away from Warriors + Tfex. Demolisher sits pretty, blob + CCS advance toward objective held by Hive Guard. Unpinned PCS move towards the objective closest to them.

Shooting; lascannons and Heavy Mortars fire at ‘stealer squad, most survive! Demolisher fires again at Warriors, most shots miss but still ID’s a Warrior and a Venomthrope after cover saves. Hades melta cutter scatters wildly.

Turn 5.

Tyranids; ‘stealers move to assault last artillery battery. Tfex moves up, as does the remaining Venomthrope.

Shooting; unengaged Hive Guard blow away the remains of the PCS. Tfex misses. Warriors mow down the last of the blob squad. Other Hive Guard miss the Demolisher.

Assault; ‘stealers wipe the artillery.

Kreig; Engineers arrive, demo charge and shotgun the Hive Guard but only do 1 wound. They then charge in, along with the CCS. I think I kill 2 engineers and the regimental standard then take a wound in return. Both Kreig units hold.

Game over!

Tyranids win 2-0 on Objectives.

Post-game thoughts:

A good game. 


My cover saves were on fire when it mattered, making more than my fair share on 4+/5+ cover saves. This helped keep my larger Tyranids alive, like the Warriors, and doing what they do.

The Death Korps, I think, are hampered by their lack of mobility in objective games. Mainly having to rely on large blobs running with the Move! Move! Move! Order and keeping them in the fight ‘til the end.

Best Tyranid unit/s: probably either the Hormagaunts, for surviving the run across no-man’s land, charging in and causing good damage to the infantry, or the reliably destructive Hive Guard. Of course, the Hormagaunts would not have made it all the way across without the Tervigon supporting them.