Tyranids vs. Space Marines (Black Templar), 1000 points, Dawn of War (March 7th, 2009)

I finally got in my first game of Warhammer 40K 5th edition, albeit a small one (only 1000 points). It's been ages since I last played a full game. But it was a lot of fun, especially since Matthew and Benjamin got to participate. Benjamin helped me on the Tyranid side and Adan (the Space Marine player) was kind enough to let Matthew help him out.

My List

• Broodlord (feeder tendrils and toxin sac) - 83 (potentially outflanks or follows spinegaunts)
• Retinue of 8 genestealers (toxin sacs) - 152
• 8 Genestealers - (rending claws and feeder tendrils) - 136
• 17 Spineguants (Spinefist) - 85 (screens genestealers and MCs)
• 12 Spineguants (Spinefist, WON) - 96 (sits back on objective)
• Dakkafex (2 x TLD, enhanced senses) - 113
• Sniperfex (venom cannon, barbed strangler, enhanced senses) - 148 (anti tank/vehicle)
• Hive Tyrant (Enhanced senses, toxin sacs, 2x twin-linked devourers) - 121
• Zoanthrope (Warp Field, Warp Blast, Synapse) - 65

Total = 999

His List

• Black Templar combat squad (w/ Lascannon)
• Black Templar CC squad w/ Rhino
• Black Templar CC squad w/ Rhino and Emperor's Champion
• Black Templar CC squad

Set Up and Deployment

We set up a 4 x 4 table with 7 pieces of area terrain. We rolled a Dawn of War mission with 4 objectives and chose to set up first. I started out with my Broodlord + retinue and a large unit of Spineguants on the left flank with the second unit of Genestealers starting off in cover in the middle. My opponent started off his combat squad in the middle, but out in the open to maximize shots by his lascannon and started his Rhino parked behind one objective on his right flank.

Turn 1

On my first turn, I placed a sniperfex on a hill to anchor my right flank, small unit of Spinegaunts + Zoanthrope went up the middle to secure my objectives, and the remaining MCs' followed up the left flank. No shooting took place, just running.

On his first turn, a full squad entered from the table edge. He takes a lascannon shot at my Hive Tyrant in the open and scores a wound. Here's the view from his side. At this point, there is a ton of stuff coming down my left-hand side and heading for the objective.

Turn 2

During the second turn, the Genestealer unit in the middle almost missed connecting on the charge due to a run roll of 1, but my opponent gave it to me and they beat up on the full squad that had just arrived. The Marines broke from combat and ran off the edge of the table. The Genestealers consolidated right in front of the combat squad. The Spineguants ran into the objective building to contest the objective inside while the Broodlord and retinue run and get into position to support the Spinegaunts. My Hive Tyrant slides a bit to take cover behind a building so that he's not out in the open. The small unit of Spineguants and the Zoanthrope secure the objective closest to my table edge and starts expanding to capture the other near side objective.

My opponent deploys the squad out of the Rhino, shoots up the Spineguant unit sitting on the objective, killing 3 of them and then assults them. I take many many unsaved wounds and the unit is wiped out

Turn 3

At this point, I stopped remembering to take pictures. However, Broodlord and retinue got to countercharge the Marines on the objective and took them out. My opponent failed most of his leadership tests unfortunately. I didn't take fleshhooks for the Genestealers, which hurt me during the charge, but this will be rectified for next time. The Genestealers in the center charge his combat squad and destroys it, but by now, there are only 3 left.

He makes his reserve roll and his last squad of Marines rolls up from his table edge and deploys. They shoot up two of the Genestealers in the middle and the assult takes down the last one. He consolidates 1" and is basically left bunched up and out in the open.

Turn 4

This is the last turn and I shoot everything I have at the last squad of Marines. It gets pummelled by shooting from a Dakkafex, Dakka Tyrant, and the Sniperfex as well as the Zoanthrope.

Conclusion

By the end of my shooting phase on Turn 4, he was left with the Emperor's Champion out in the open with 1 wound left and a Rhino. I only had a single troop unit left, but it was stretched out across 2 objectives.

Lessons Learned

In hindsight, fleshhooks are definately in and I need to think about how I move my figures (for instance, moving them up to the second floor, which wasted inches), and I need to make sure my big creatures aren't giving away free shots (Tyrant took a free lascannon shot that he didn't need to).

Army List