[1850 report] Tyranids vs Tau/Eldar

I haven’t beeng writing to a blog for a long time. Nevertheless, I think that it’s never late to write another battlereport!

I found out recently that my friend Paul lives 150 meters from me and he has a nice table for 40k.

 

But the first time I got to his place I forgot to buy batteries for my camera, so no battlereport from that game. Just a few words – I faced Daemon and his Tau/Eldar list with Ethereal powered firewarriors, Shadowsun powered battlesuits and new awesome Skyray gunships:) I managed to pull a narrow draw 9-11 in favor of Tau, nevertheless it was an uphill battle for me.

The second time I came to Paul’s place and faced Paul’s Tau/Eldar list (by memory):

Commander Farsight

Shadowsun + Farsight bodyguards (2 with meltas, 2 with rockets, 2 with plasma, 1 with systems)+ 7 markerdrones

Farseer on jetbike with runes

Riptide

Riptide

10 kroot

10 kroot

3 eldar jetbikes

Skyray

Skyray

Paul has some proxies in this game. So,

Large ovel base = second riptide:)

three jetbike bases = eldar jetbikes

drone on a large jetbike base = Farseer on jetbike 

So, all instruments to kick my ass is in:) Let’s look at my list too:

HQ1: Hive Tyrant, TL Devourers (x2); Wings; Leech Essence; Paroxism; Old Adversary [285]

HQ2: Hive Tyrant, TL Devourers (x2); Wings; Leech Essence; Paroxism [260] - Warlord

ELITE1: 2 Hive Guard Brood [100]

ELITE2: 2 Hive Guard Brood [100]

ELITE3: 2 Hive Guard Brood [100]

TROOPS1: Tervigon, Adrenal Glands; Toxin Sacs; Catalyst; Onslaught [210]

TROOPS2: Tervigon, Toxin Sacs; Catalyst [185]

TROOPS3: 13 Termagant Brood, 13xDevourers [130] in Transport1

TROOPS4: 13 Termagant Brood, 13xDevourers [130] in Transport2

TROOPS5: 13 Termagant Brood, 13xDevourers [130] in Transport3

TRANSPORT1: Mycetic Spore, Twin Deathspitter [50]

TRANSPORT2: Mycetic Spore, Twin Deathspitter [50]

TRANSPORT3: Mycetic Spore, Twin Deathspitter [50]

FORTIFICATION: Aegis defence lines, Comms Relay [70]

We play ETC-2013 missions and roll mission number 5.

THE SCOURING - Each player places three markers 6 "from the edge, 12" from each other worth 1, 2 and 3 points (point values noted in secret by the player deploying them). Then before rolling to take the initiative you need to give your opponent the value of individual markers

DEPLOYMENT - VANGUARD STRIKE

So, my opponent can easily outshoot me, but he is short on troops, so I can try to kill him all his scoring! :)

Paul won the roll to choose side, but it’s not important on this table. I place Aegis close to my short board edge! And my markers in my corner, while Paul places his markers in his corner.

 

Warlord traits:

Shadowsun – 3d6 jump.

Tyrant – minus 1 to opponent’s reserves (that’s baaad)

Powers:

Farseer get primaris of divination.

Tyrant-warlord: Endurance, Life leech

Flyrant: Iron Arm, Warp Speed

Tervigon: Endurance, Objuration mechanicum, Telekine dome

Tervigon 2: Catalyst, Dominion

No nightfight for the first turn.

I win the roll to go first and choose to go second:)

Deployment.

2 riptides, 2 gunships and a sweet couple (Farsight with Farseer) are on the board. 1 kroot pack and bikes are in reserve, 1 kroot pack outflanks.

I place 6 hiveguards behind the Aegis and 37 inches away from opponent. Warlord is in reserve, Flyrant deepstrikes, 3 spores deepstrike and 2 tervigons in reserve too.

 

Shadowsun joins the bodyguards and infiltrates 18 inches away from my hiveguards.

 

I decide to try to seize, cause Paul placed suits closer to hiveguards than drones! I can kill 2 melta and 1 plasma bodyguard with hivegards salvo in average! But I failed to seize and Paul starts:)

Turn 1: Tau/Eldar

Everything come closer to my lines!

Paul want to win on turn 1 and divide his shooting.

 

Meltas kill one squad right away. Rockets fail to take out the last wound from second squad and gunships kill only one hiveguard from the last squad after drones lighted them up with markers. One hiveguard fails morale and run, second hiveguard stays put.

Everything come even closer!

 

Turn 1. Tyranids

One hiveguard run away from table, while second passes Instincts and try to do a little shooting at gunship. 2 hits and 1 glance – a nice try;)

Turn 2. Tau/Eldar

Riptides turn on their reactors to double missile shots. One of them get rerolls from Farseer.

Kroots come in from my short board edge and take their position behind my Aegis!

The last hiveguard torn apart with Shadowsun unit shooting. Bodyguards jump to hide behind my Aegis, near comms relay:)

 

Feel that? The trap is closed! The enemy base is clear!!! Enemy boeing is far away from Tau base! Coward hivemind:)

Turn 2. Tyranids

I get Flyrant, 2 spores and a 3-power tervigon in. I try to drop Flyrant to the corner but scatter 12 inches towards my opponent! Hmm. Okay, let’s do it more aggressively then!

I drop first spore right at the gunship’s back! Gants line up to shoot at farseer.

Second spore scatters 12 inches!!! Again… and drop near first one. Gants line up in the same fashion.

 

Tervigon come in on the right.

 

Riptides intercept and wipe out one gaunt squad right away!

Shooting. Flyrant see only Farsight and kill him out. Gants bring down Farseer (every tyranid player smiled at this point, right? The death of Farseer is like a blessing for tyranids).

Spores do nothing to gunships.

 

Turn 3. Tau/Eldar

Both troops unit come in. Kroots in the center,

  bikes in the corner, far from flyrant.

 

Not much shooting at flyrant, but he is grounded by skyray from the first hit and lose a wound. All other shooting murder gunts and spores.

 

Turn 3. Tyranids

I get only my warlord in. I put him far from enemy on the right. I Endurance and Iron Arm my Flyrant.

Tervigon spawns 16 gants with double. Gants run towards the opponent’s 3-point objective.

Flyrant fly closer to the kroots in the middle.

 

Shooting. Only 2 kroots left after tyrant’s shooting. But the pass morale.

Flyrant regenerates lost wound.

Turn 4. Tau/Eldar

Everything comes closer to the center, but riptides keep away from my buffed Flyrant.

Shooting. Bodyguards and riptides open up at tervigon and kill him right away. Gunships try to deal with flyrant but only manage to do 1 wound (one gunship has run out of rockets after this).

Assault. Enemy jumps back in order to hold markers behind the Aegis and protect kroots.

 

Turn 4. Tyranids

Tervigon and gants come in.

I drop spore on the 3-poin marker and hide them in the ruin. Warlord sit close in there.

Flyrant fly away from table.

Tervigon FnP itself. Warlord Endurance itself.

 

Turn 5. Tau/Eldar

Kroots spread on a 2-point marker.

Everything lines up and shoot down my second tervigon. That hurts!

  bikers jump on the 3-point marker in my deployment zone

 

Turn 5. Tyranids

My flyrant vector strikes the bikers on the marker and kill em all! Then shoot kroots and kill 4. They fail Ld 6 test and run from the 2-point marker.

I spread my gants and hold 3 and 2 point markers.

1d6=2. The game ends!!!

I score 5 points of markers, while Tau/Eldar score none. Both warlords are alive. Both players get linebreaker:) Tau/Eldar have First Blood, so the resulting score is 6-2 on mission.

The difference in losses is 675 points, that is +-1 point on the ETC scale in favor of Tau/Eldar.

The final score is 11-9 in favor of Tyranids:)

So, Tau has a lot of powerful guns, but their troops are fragile. Maybe it’s better to take allies with powerful troops for Tau? Like Orcs? Tau/Orcs sounds great:)