Blog Wars 2 Test Game - 'Nids vs. Grey Knights

Ahead of Blog Wars 2 in December, me and James from The Sheep of War blog tested out our prospective 1750pt lists and a custom mission.

‘Nids

Swarmlord

3 x Tyrant Guard (Lash Whips)

2 x Tervigon (AG/TS, Catalyst, Scy Tals)

10 x Gaunts

10 x Gaunts

3 x Hive Guards

3 x Hive Guards

Trygon (AG)

Tyrannofex (Rupture Cannon/Dessicator Larvae)

Grey Knights

Draigo

5 x Grey Knights (Psycannon, 3 x Halberds, Daemon Hammer, Psybolt Ammo)

Razorback (H. Bolter, Psybolt Ammo)

5 x Grey Knights (Psycannon, 3 x Halberds, Daemon Hammer, Psybolt Ammo)

Razorback (Lascannon)

10 x Paladins (4 x Psycannons, 2 x Daemon Hammers, Halberd & Swords, Psybolt Ammo).

Stormraven (TL Lascannon, Typhoon ML)

Dreadnought (Assault Cannon, CCW)

The game: Blog Wars 2 custom mission 3; 5 objectives with set deployments.

GK's won the roll off and chose to be the defenders and let me come to them. I deployed first with the Swarmlord and TFex in the middle of the board screened by Gaunts.

The Trygon, a Terv and one brood of Hive Guard took the left flank and the remaining Terv and Hive Guards took the right flank, screened by a brood of Gaunts.

The Stormraven deployed in the middle carrying Draigo & 5 Paladins and the GKs in Razorbacks took a flank each. The Dreadnought went on the right flank. The remaining 5 Paladins went into reserve.

Turn 1

The Nid’s went first and each Terv spawns around 10 Gaunts without pooping out. FNP went on the Swarmlord and Trygon. Everything pushed forwards across the board. In shooting the TFex rolled snake-eyes to hit the Stormraven, the left Hive Guard were out of range, but the right Hive Guards managed to hit the Dreadnought and remove its Assault Cannon.

All the GKs disembarked but stayed put apart from the Dreadnought and opened fire; the Swarmlord unit and TFex lost a wound and a brood of screening Gaunts were wiped out. The Dreadnought charged into a nearby unit of Gaunts, killing two. There was no point in the Gaunts even swinging back….

Turn 2

FNP went back on Swarmlord and Trygon and the Tervs managed another 10 or so Gaunts each without pooping out (score!). The TFex and Swarmlord slowed their advance to allow a brood of Gaunts to screen them. The left and right flanks advanced and the Terv got into a position to charge the Dreadnought.

The TFex rolled snake eyes again to hit the Stormraven but the left Hive Gaurds successfully managed to remove the Lascannon and immobilise it and the right Hive Gaurds wrecked a Razorback. In combat, the Dreanought managed to kill a single Gaunt, but was then wrecked by the charging Tervigon.

The Paladins in reserve Deep Striked behind the Swarmlord, but scattered into a nearby pyramid. The subsequent roll on the mishap table saw them all destroyed (woot!). The GKs retaliated by mass-firing at the TFex – killing it with Psycannon rends and also inflicted a wound on the Trygon.

Turn 3

FNP went on the Trygon and Hive Guards and the Tervs managed another 10 Gaunts each but both finally pooped out after birthing around 60 Gaunts between them.

The Trygon tried to get into a position where it would be able to charge the GKs on the left flank – but had a pitiful run roll. By now, the right flank had a Tervigon, Hive Gaurds and four Gaunt broods, which enveloped the entire right side of the table and got into a postion where they could sweep to the middle of the board. In the middle, Swarmlord and the screening gaunts moved forward to get into position for charging Draigo and his Paladins next turn. Shooting from the Hive Guards wrecked the Stormraven.

In the GKs turn, the Paladins moved out towards the Trygon and the objective on my left flank – wiping out a brood of Gaunts on the way. The GKs from the left flank consolidated towards the middle of the board to hold the central objective. The GK’s on the right flank moved into cover and shot at the advancing Gaunts – killing all but two of a brood.

Turn 4

By this point I am winning 3-0 on objectives and the GK’s are seriously hurting from losing their second Paladin squad.

Knowing it would only take a lucky wound and Ld test from the Paladins to kill both the Trygon and Tervigon and take my right flank, I retreated them both to just out of the Paladins charge range. I moved the Swarmlord to get into the Paladins charge range, but made sure I kept the Gaunt screen between me and them – I wanted to make sure it was me doing the charging.

On the right flank, the decimated Gaunt brood ran back to hold my objective and the remaining broods got into a position where they could wipe out the nearby GK’s next turn. Two of the GK’s fell from Fleshborer fire from nearby Gaunts. Swarmlord tried to Paroxysm Draigo and the Paladins but failed and so did the Hive Guards attempts at dropping them.

In the GK’s turn, all the GK marines shots were focused on the Gaunts screening the Swarmlord so that the Paladins could get the charge in – but failed and two Gaunts were left standing. Being unable to charge the Swarmlord unit, Draigo and the Paladins opened fire on them, but the combination of cover, wound allocation and passing saving throws meant that a single Tyrant Guard died and the Swarmlord lost a wound.

Turn 5

On the right flank, the Gaunts wiped out the remaining GK marines and every other available shot went into Draigo and the Paladins in the centre…which did nothing. I decided to risk the GK forceweapons and charged the Swarmlord and its last Tyrant Guard into Draigo and the Paladins – but not before casting Paroxysm on them and giving itself Old Adversary. The Swarmlord and Halbard Paladins struck at the same time – but the combination of being WS1 and St4 meant that no GK attacks got through, but four Paladins were killed by the Swarmlord. In a last ditch attempt, Draigo attacked the Swarmlord, but was unable to do any damage.

At this stage the GK’s conceded the game having only 5 marines & Razorback Draigo with a Paladin left (with my Tyrant Guard still to attack in combat).

Summary – a great game for the ‘Nids! I love this list as it really makes your opponent think about target priority…however about a quarter of my list never did anything – I’m looking at you TFex and Trygon! To be fair – I guess if they weren’t being shot at, then it would be the Swarmlord taking the fire instead…

It also shows how hard it is for ‘Nids to kill Paladins and I was really lucky that I didn’t have to manage two squads of them (thank you god of Deep Striking mishaps).

I liked the mission and didn’t feel like the attacker had too much of an advantage – Alex, if you are reading this, you could make it that the player with the most TPs going into the game is the defender; giving the underdog the advantage?