Rd 3 was going to be a fun round.
As this was a W/L tourney, and I had lost rd 2, I was just in it to have fun.
I started kind of off as my head cold was starting to move into my chest, and my early start was wearing. Once the dice started falling though, I was right back into the game!
Table Quarters/Spearhead
Opponent,
Joel Williams (from memory, as I can't find the darned list he gave me).
Prime (bonesword/whip and d-spitter?)
2x zoanthropes (in pod)
2x Hive Guard
2x Hive Guard
5x Warriors (deathspitters, can't remember CC build)
20 Hormogaunts
18 Termagants
Tervigon (catalyst)
10x Genestealers
Trygon
Biovore
Biovore
I won the roll for choice, and chose to go first.
The table was less terrain dense than the other two I'd played on, and I took the most open corner. It was populated with alot of craters, but little actual terrain. This gave him a small building just on his side of the center objective marker. I put Belial in the center of my dep quarter, with command. Two squads to his right and two to his left. I kept the bikes off table (normal reserves, not outflanking).
He deployed across his corner, threatening both far quarters. His tervigon was to my right (set to spawn into that corner, to feed VPs into it) backed by a pair of HiveGuard and the big brood of 'gants.
He deployed the Warriors to my left, threatening that neutral corner, backed by the CC elements of 'stealers and Hormies (the warriors were joined by the prime). The other HG unit was toward his center, but weighted to go toward the warriors...and the Biovores were behind these lines.
He left the podded Zoies and Trygon in DS reserve.
Turn 1;
I looked at the field, and made my choices.
I moved both left Termie units into my upper neutral quarter, toward some craters.
I moved the right two squads into firing positions that would deny cover to his Tervigon (and place them into/almost into my right neutral corner). I shuffled the command termies to draw LOS to the Tervigon (but through cover).
I fired.
I put 4 wounds on the Tervi and Killed a warrior.
He went, spawning 8 'gants first (no doubles). He brought his HG in front of the Tervi to provide cover, and shuffled that backfield. Everything he had to my left boiled into that neutral quarter, but did not run effectively. Biovore and HG fire netted two dead termies, but not in the same squad.
Turn 2;
I capitalized on him not burying the Tervigon behind the one blocking piece of terrain, and popped it. That shut down his spawning, and cut his whole flank out of synapse. I also popped another warrior and put a wound on the prime. This was all after I shuffled further into neutral corners and put units that might be in assault range into craters.
He failed to get the reserves.
He advanced further into my left neutral quarter, and lurked with everything to his right. HG fire netted another termie, while biovores hit but failed to kill. No assault range.
Turn 3;
I got everybody to my left into craters, as they would likely be assaulted this turn. Bikes came on, and I just brought them into the center. I shot, and killed another warrior and put another wound on the prime...and braced for impact.
He got the charge off on my central/left termies. A full squad of Hormagaunts hit them. Fortunately, due to the 'Nid dex getting the 'grenade' nerf, I got all my TH attacks. I lost 4 termies, he lost a great deal of Hormies.
Turn 4;
With the assault from the Hormogaunts, his Warriors had a gap in their cover. I ran the bikes up, and with Cyclone+Melta fire, I popped them AND his Prime...and there went his synapse (on table at this stage). I also had positioned the bikes such that they were closest to his Hormogaunts, so when they killed the lone termie I could pull them out of the crater and into the center (with 'feed' as their inst behavior, and the loss of synapse).
His reserve Zoies came in, and he podded them into the backfield block (two units of 'gants, biovores and HG). Synapse returns!
He advances the 'stealers toward my furthest left-quarter squad (in the crater) and fleeted them. The hormogaunts came out after the bikes. Fire netted him no kills. He wiped the bikes. The 'stealers assaulted the THSS guys in the crater, lost by four, and fled. They were 'escorted' off table the next turn.
Turn 5;
I knew he had the Trygon coming out this turn, but knew he couldn't 'break' the table quarters with it, only tie them (my right quarter) and hope for the best. If it ended with quarters tied I would win by 2nd tiebreaker (KP's). I pounced the center Hormogaunts with termies (wiping them) after shooting the zoies to no effect.
His Trygon came in, and did what I expected...contesting my right-neutral quarter.
He then shot, and killed a terminator.
Turn 6;
I put 3 wounds on the Trygon, and settled in for the results. If he charged with the trygon, it would die.
He shuffled to contest quarters...and the game ended.
We tied on quarters,
We tied on objectives,
I won by KPs...alot of them. (he'd only killed two units, I had killed something like 6?)
It was a fun game, but a little static.
Unfortunately, for Joel, I've been playing 'Nids since 2nd ed...I know them, and my army was advantaged from the start vs them.
Missile launchers hurt bugs, and mobile missile launchers on THSS platforms just SCARE them.
The table did not help him either, as there was little cover that didn't also negate his assault advantages (initiative etc).
Still, it was fun, and he was pleasant right till the end...regardless of the uphill struggle. :)
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