The bugs are back in town.....nom, nom, nom

Saturday June 15th - 1500 points - Tyranids (Wiggy) vs Space Wolves (Dave)

So here goes a return to some updates of the 'Tale of Few' band of hobbyists. This battle report features my 'Nid army that was formed during the tale and by good friend Dave from http://hammertime40k.wordpress.com/ blog, who I have not fought since school over 15 years ago.......


The Armies

Space Wolves 
Rune Priest - Jaws, Fury of fenris
Rune Priest - Jaws, Living lightning
3 Thunderwolves - Thunder hammer, 3 storm shields
10 Grey Hunters - Wolf standard, 2 Plasma Guns
10 Grey Hunters - Wolf standard, 2 Plasma Guns
10 Grey Hunters - Wolf standard, 2 Melta Guns
6 Long Fangs - Missile, 2 Las Cannons
Vindicator
Vindicator
Dreadnought - Assault Cannon


Tyranids
Tyranid Prime - Pair Boneswords, Scything Talons, Toxin Sacs
4 Tyranid Warriors - Scything Talons, Rending Claws, toxin sacs
10 Termagants
10 Termagants
Tervigon - catalyst, toxin sacs, scything talons
5 Raveners - Rending claws, death spitters
4 Shrikes - Boneswords, Lashwhips, toxin sacs
15 Gargoyles - Adrenal glands
Trygon - Toxin Sacs
8 Ymargl Genestealers

Mission and Deployment

We rolled up the 'Purge the Alien' Scenario and 'Hammer and Anvil' deployment, with the wolves choosing their table end and the Tyranids getting to deploy first. Warlord traits rolled up allowed the Tyranids a bonus to shooting near objectives (useless) and the Wolves got move through cover within 12" (never used).

You can see the forces set up below. From my point I wanted to throw the Trygon, Tervigon with the Gargoyles and Shrikes. I thought that the two big creatures and Gargoyle swarm might distract enough firepower to get the Shrikes in amongst the troops where I hoped they would blend lots. The slower elements would advance into the centre to get into assualt late game or stop a Space Wolf swing round. The Raveners were put out wide to try and spread the Wolves and I placed the Ymarglys dormant in the small building far back as it would match the Ravener advance and thought that there was a chance the Long Fangs would deploy there. 
The Space Wolves deployed as shown, chatting with Dave after he mentioned that he wanted a good field of fire for the Long Fangs and the Vindicators opposite the biggest threat. This was the first time he had ever fought 'Nids so other than general knowledge it was a bit of a leap into the unknown.
No night fight and initiative not stolen.

Turn 1

The Tyranid Swarm advanced in a straight forward manner. The Tervigon cast Catalyst on the Gargoyles to help against Bolters and the Raveners attempted to use the small ruin to cover them from Long Fangs. Fleet moves brought everything up quite well and as covered as could be, so it was time to let the Wolves unleash.

There was little movement within their lines with one plasma squad and Rune priest stepping up into bolt range of Gargoyles and the Dreadnought stepping a little forward. After two direct hit Vindicators, Dread and the Grey Hunter squad (with only 3 feel no pain rolls allowed due to instant death) there was a single Gargoyle left. The long fangs split to attempt to finish him but missed with the missile and the rest took 2 wounds from the Tervigon.
At the end of the turn the battlefield looked like this

Turn One Victory Points - 0-0

Turn 2

No Ymargls meant that I couldn't pin the Wolves right flank so I decided the Raveners would risk some return fire and advanced to shoot the Long Fangs. The lone Gargoyle sat in front of the Tervigon by the hill to force a shot or generate cover with catalyst going to the Shrikes this turn. They jumped forward towards the Grey Hunter/Vindicator line with the Trygon slithering up to the right and everything else slowly advancing. The Raveners opened up killing a las cannon and 2 missile launchers, with the Long Fangs holding firm on morale. Fleet and Run moves closed the distance for next turn and the Shrikes made combat losing a couple of wounds. I mistakenly put one on a vindicator hoping to glance it which i did before I remembered that meant only a single hull point lost! The other 3 managed to kill 8 Grey Hunters as a wound was caused from the Rune Priest but Shadow in the Warp prevented instant death. The other handful of attacks were stopped by armour and feel no pain. The Wolves lost but couldn't be run down so piled in. 

In response to the 'Nid making combat the Warlord and Grey Hunter squad two advanced to pile into the shrikes but through lash whips and low charge couldn't bring a huge amount to bare. The vindicators shot at the Tervigon which missed and the Raveners which killed all but one who was promptly killed by the Grey  Hunter squad sitting the Long Fangs.....First Blood. The Long Fangs themselves were able to take another wound from the Tervigon.
In the assault phase the initiative 4 attacks of the Space Wolves killed a single Shrike  and a couple more wounds who then killed 4 of the charging unit, the first Rune Priest and other survivors to win the combat by one. The Warlord held but everyone was now locked with 3 lash whip annoying Shrikes.

 Turn Two Victory Points - 2-2 (first blood)

Turn 3

The Ymargls appeared and set off against the Grey Hunters in the open to avoid the need for assualt Grenades and reasoning that there were not too many Long Fangs left and it was further from the Thunder Wolves. (not having fought against them before I wasn't sure how good they might be but didn't want to find out too quick). The Warriors and 'gants advanced past the half way point but the guys were too far from any thing other than Dreadnought and Vindicator that they were unlikely to have a big impact. The Trygon stepped close to the nearest Vindicator and then stepped in smashing it to pieces killing a Grey Hunter in the explosion. The Shrikes killed all but the Rune Priest and 2 Grey Hunters and lost one more Shrike in return as the combat continued. The Ymargls morphed to gain an extra attack and in a flurry of lots of lovely green dice, rended 6 Grey Hunters and killed one more losing only one in return. The final 3 didn't win the roll off and so kept the Ymagrls locked.

As the deaths had certainly started to happen the Wolves stepped into action to start to attempt to hold the line. The Thunder Wolves and Dread headed for the Trygon, while the surviving vindicator shelled the Warriors and killed a couple. The Long Fangs  reduced the Tervigon to 2 wounds past some feel no pain and then combat was rapidly upon us. The Ymargls killed two Grey hunters but the remaining one pinned them in place again. The Warlord killed a Shrike after he had lost a wound and remaining Grey Hunters leaving a nice dramatic one one one clash. In the battle of the heavy weights the Thunder Wolves rended twice and caused another wound on the Trygon before the Dreadnought lived up to the stories and hit with all 3 attacks and wounded to kill the Trygon in a single assault phase!! As it struck simultaneously the Dreadnought was ripped to pieces but I had learned quickly that the Thunder Wolves were mean.

Turn Three Victory Points - 6 (Line) -3 (First)

Turn 4

The battlefield was spreading into local combats with a greatly reduced number of models and far more raid turns. The Warriors and Prime advanced to bait the Thunder Wolves (although this might not be a great idea) and the Tervigon stepped towards the Vindicator. I later thought I should've spawned some 'bubble wrap' 'gants but you forget that little guys are stills sometimes worth it in kill point games. The last Gargoyle was no longer needed for distraction so flew behind a building. In the assault phase the Tervigon didn't get the 10" it needed to assault so I had to settle for killing the last Grey Hunter with Ymargls and the Warlord with the last Shrike.

In return for this The Thunder Wolves decided that getting a second Monstrous kill would be good for the sagas and so jumped on the Tervigon and later made short work of the initiative 1 brood mother. The Vindicator and Long Fangs killed only 3 Ymargls due to a poor scatter and that was all the remaining shooting.

Turn Four Victory Points - 9 (slay+line) -4 (First)

Turn 5

The Ymargls predictably butchered the Long Fangs and the last Shrike attempted to take some hull points from the Vindicator but failed.

In return the Vindicator killed all the remaining Warriors with the Prime and the Thunder Wolves closed in on the Shrike and killed him losing one in return.

Turn Five Victory Points - 10 (slay+line) -6 (first)

Turn 6 and Turn 7

The Ymargls failed to charge the Vindictor and were then charged by the Thunderwolves and killed with minimal fuss. There was some positioning but everything else was too far away to cause damage and the game was done

Final Victory Points - 9 (slay) -7 (first)

So in the end it was a victory for the bugs in a battle that got a little too far away from the Wolves before they fought back. It was certainly good to play someone I've not played in ages and to pick up dice and play around again in general. Learning points: -

• Thunderwolves are fantastic in combat with average armour or monstrous creatures. Being held back as they were and against so little shooting they killed 600 points with dreadnought help for their 285 and were untouchable at the end.
• In a game without objectives playing lengthways I need to experiment with the termagants. I held them back to avoid giving up an easy 2 kill points and I think this was right but not certain. The Raveners sacrifice did draw some Wolves away from a single big castle but 4 failed cover saves from the Vindicator hurt. I think running into a wall of guns is always gonna hurt but still need to work on movement.
• The Shrikes in this game rolled well and killed 20 Grey Hunters, 2 Rune Priests and a Thunder Wolf. Well worth it.
• The Trygon died for the first time to a Dreadnought that actually lived up to reputation, a fitting mutual death.

Thanks again for the game Dave. Will look out for your version on your blog and maybe some comments here.