1850pts Tyranids vs Tau The Hive mind devoures...

[Dave Caruana]

Deployment was vanguard strike, we had 4 objectives and purge the alien. My list consisted of:

2 Flyrants with x2 devourers with brainleech worms, wings.
X2 Zoanthropes
X2 Venomthropes
X2 Venomthropes
X15 Hormagaunts w/ t.sacs
X15 Hormagaunts w/ t.sacs
X11 Termagants w/ spinefists
X11 Termagants
X20 Termagants
X2 Crones
X2 Exocrines
Aegis defence line

My opponent had:
X2 Ethereals
X10 Kroot
X10 Kroot
X10 (I think) sniper drones
Commander with command squad and drones, had ignore cover special rule.
X3 broadsides
X3 riptides each with drone.
Aegis w/ comms relay

So I deployed my aegis with half in between a ruin and a piece of difficult terrain almost on the edge of my deployment zone (vanguard strike) he did the same but put his a little more behind the edge of deployment.he deployed 1 riptide to the long sided table edge, 1 in tne middle with an ethereal (warlord) and 1 a few inches beside that unit, inbetween thise 2 riptides he put the sniper drones, which is dangerous because the ethereal gives something to them that make them fire an extra shot when within rapid fire range (24") and theyre snipers. He deployed the broadsides between the riptide with ethereal and the riptide on edge of long table edge, commander+squad on the right flank, kroot were going to outflank and 1 unit had other ethereal.
I put 2 exocrines touching aegis with a unit of venoms behind them, to their left I had 2 crones touching aegis and within venoms range with a unit of hormagaunts riight infront of them somewhere inbetween theirbases behind aegis, zoans were in the middle a little back, other unit of horms were deployed onto difficult (5+cover) terrain to the right I had 2 flyrants behind an impassable terrain piece getting a 5+ cover with venoms behind them givjng everything shrouded, while the termagants all deployed at the back of my deployment.
He started off, put marker lights on an exocrine and to cut the story short, removed cover gave it 1 wound from the sniper drones, 3 riptides shot at it, 2 failed to get nova, giving them 1 wound, then the commander unit shot at it giving it 2 more wounds and disappointingly for him he had to use the broadsides to kill it outright, he got first blood. Then strangely he moved the riptide bybthe long table edge forward into a ruin. (But seeing that I had 2 objectives behind my defence line I cud see why he wanted to attack me, good choosing of deployment on my part). During my turn 1 I gave catalyst to both flyrants, casted dominion and onslaught onto the last exocrine. 1 flyrant glided in front of riptide and the other swooped inbetween that riptide an broadsides. Hormagaunts moved 14" in total! And crones flew riiight infront of the sniper drones, to within an inch, exocrine ran a total of 8" forward, termas all went into terrain or behind aegis taking the 2 objectives while both units of venomthrooes gave cover to 1 unit of hormies and all the gants at the back end, zoans used dominion. Crones both used their drool cannons and left 1 drone standing, passed morale check, then this stupid thing on my part...I wanted to charge the riptide, but I **** at it with the flyrant on the ground, gave it 2 wounds, then I shot with the exocrine onto the unit of broadsides, they went to ground and denied all wounds, THEN with the swooping flyrant I was gna shoot at the broadsides but seeing they had a 2+cover save I decided to shoot at the riptide (forgetting that anyway the riptide+broadside still have 2+ save-__-) and shockingly gave him 5 wounds and HE GOT 4 1s and a 2!! So I outright killed a riptide plus drone!! Which was fricking nice, BUT I now had a flyrant on the ground and with those same dice that he rolled wudve killed 2 broadsides!!

His turn 2.
With a flyrant on the ground, a flyrant right beside him wiyhin gliding and assault range of his broadsides, 2 units of hormagaunts in his face and 2 crones touching his aegis and an exocrine inthe middle of the table (plus 3 units total of 42 gants with a 2+ cover taking objectives, he had quite alot of targets yet not much options. Both units of kroots came out, 1 behind my gants and 1 on the otherside. With the commander unit he tried shooting at my ground flyrant on the opposite side of the board, getting 2 wounds (I had a 3+cover as I was touching terrain plus within venoms but he had ignores cover) and saving 1 from fnp, the kroots he put marker lights on him, got 4, and with the outflanking kroothe upd their bs to 4 since they were gna fire snapshots with their sniper rifles and got 3 wounds, 1 rending and saved the other 2. The 2 riptides focus fired onto 1 crone, till it got grounded but survived the fall while the broadsides fired on the exocrine giving it 3 wounds, he then assaulted the fallen crone with the riptide yet we both didnt manage to hit each other for this turn.

My turn 2.
Things were looking good. Since my crone cudnt kill much as everything had armour 2 and no armour value targets I decided to go for broke. I glided him to the rear of the unit wit the ethereal, drone and riptide so as to get in bsb with the ethereal. 1 unit of hormagaunts moved close to the riptidevs crone combat while 1 flyrant plus a unit of hormagaunts swarmed the broadsides, termas stayed where they were, venomthropes gave shrouded to the termas and exocrine and zoans stayed back with the termagants. I shot with the exocrine on the unit of the commander and the flyrnt that was on the ground swooped infront of the unit of riptide+ethereal. Exocrine killed 1 member of command squad and some drones, flyrant gave 3 wounds to the riptide in the unit. I assaulted with everything and I must say, thencrone was man of the match (or xenos) I smashed the ethereal, wounded him, he tried to LOS and got a 1, ethereal ID'd and +3pts (Slay the warlord+1 kill point+ethereal special rule) flyrants and hormies charged broadsides, killed them outright, hormagaunts charged riptidevcrone but stroom at I1 as riptide was in cover, bth crones died from riptide smash attacks yet they made their mark, hormies gave 4 wound from 45 attacks total, t.sacs are a beaut on those hormies!!

Opponent turn 3.
Realised I totally forgot about the kroot at the back of my army, he shot with them at the unit of 20 termas with only 5+ cover as they were behind aegis but within range of venoms, killing 3.commander unit tried to contest an objective in my line so he moved, ran and when he wentto get his thrust move, ended up half an inch too far to contest, so he moved them in a way to get linebreaker. The riptide that lost the ethereal fired at the flyrant, missing and not doing a wound hormas failed to wound riptide and riptide killed 3, fearless so I tarpitted him.

My turn 3.
Basically consolidated, hormas took 1 objectives in enemy deployment zone, both flyrants shot at riptide, got 2 wounds but he saved them on 5+inv save.hormagants kept riptide tarpitted, exocrine killed 8 kroot and gants killed the other 2, game ended as time ran out.

Overall great game!! Really wanted to kill the riptides, disappointed I didnt manage, but they only had 1 and 2 wounds respectively and it was still turn 3, so who knows the fact that I only had 1 unit of zoans was a concern for me so I tried my best to give my opponent an overdose of target priority to forget abt them. Hormagaunts poisoned, hormagaunts poisoned, hormagaunts poisoned!!! Im sorry some might disagree, but horms are back with a bang ladies and gents!!! 8pts for +3" to run, fleet, MtCover, fearless, poisoned and 3 attacks on the charge!!! I mean WOW!!! Might not go if u play a footslogging army with fexs and haruspexs and walking tyrants but if ur going for crones, with flyrants and exocrines...these are troops for you, have loads of termas safeguard ur back objectives and let these guys take the 1s of ur opponent. Venomthropes =must take, If they kill them for you, they saved wounds off ur MCs in the beginning, if they dont kill the venoms, theyll be saving ur *** for the whole game, AP2, oh sorry, im behind a ruin and have evnoms behind the wall, thatll be a 2+cover save right? XD

P.S I FINALLY got to beat TAU convincingly again!!!! YIPPPPEEEE!!!!!

[chicop76]

Why he have 3 hqs?

[Dave Caruana]

I think he had an ally from farsight enclave

[John Bower]

See, now to me looking at all these batreps, nids seem to be doing better now than ever, despite the hate levied against the new dex.

[chicop76]

I think he had an ally from farsight enclave

To do that he have to run 3 crisis suits and he have to take bonding knife. Which still don't explain 3 HQ s.

[John Bower]

Aren't Broadsides counted?

[chicop76]

Aren't Broadsides counted?

Have to double check, but I'm pretty sure it's X-V8s.

[wh14sxb]

Also remember when facing Tau. They can up BS, BUT the FAQ states you can never in crease the BS of snap shots.

Q: Can the BS1 of a Snap Shot ever be modified by special rules
that modify the BS of a model’s Shooting attack (such as Space
Marine Signums or Sergeant Telion’s Voice of Experience)? (p13)
A: No.

So moving sniper rifles on kroots he wouldnt be able to hit on 4's. Not that it would've made a big deal this time, but can't help out against flyers with simple marker light bonuses. That is correct how I am reading that right?

Awesome batrep btw. I look forward to facing nids.

[Gleipnir]

No you're right if he has 3 HQ then it would have required 3 Crisis suits as a troop for Farsight units

[Learn2Eel]

Also remember when facing Tau. They can up BS, BUT the FAQ states you can never in crease the BS of snap shots.

Q: Can the BS1 of a Snap Shot ever be modified by special rules
that modify the BS of a model’s Shooting attack (such as Space
Marine Signums or Sergeant Telion’s Voice of Experience)? (p13)
A: No.

So moving sniper rifles on kroots he wouldnt be able to hit on 4's. Not that it would've made a big deal this time, but can't help out against flyers with simple marker light bonuses. That is correct how I am reading that right?

Awesome batrep btw. I look forward to facing nids.

Sorry, Markerlights overrule this. Straight from my Tau codex;

"Pinpoint can increase the Ballistic Skill of Snap Shots and Overwatch."

Still not too useful against Deathleaper, as the Markerlights themselves have to Snap Shoot as well....