Battle Report - Imperial Fist vs. Tyranids.

Imperial Fist vs. Tyranids

My first attempt at Imperial Fist Space Marines. I normally play Codex Astartes, most of the time using a more aggressive ground-based army. Also this was my first game against Tyranids.

The IF specific elements of the list are still not finished. I'm working on fortifications, and the Thunderfire Battery, Centurions, etc. are not painted. So sorry about the black models on the black bunkers in the pictures below... Also one unit of Scouts are proxied using assault marines.

 

Imperial Fist Space Marines

Imperial Fists (NetEA V1.3 - Developmental)
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TACTICAL [425]
6 Tactical units, 2 Land Raiders, Razorback LAS, Rhino

TACTICAL [275]
6 Tactical units, Rhino

CENTURION [300]
4 Devastator Centurion

THUNDERFIRE BATTERY [250]
4 Thunderfire Cannons

PREDATORS [250]
4 Annihilator

LAND SPEEDERS [200]
5 Land Speeder Tornado

LAND SPEEDERS [200]
5 Land speeder

SCOUTS [150]
4 Scout units, Rhino

SCOUTS [150]
4 Scout units, 2 Bunkers + Minefields

SCOUTS [150]
4 Scout units, 2 Bunkers + Minefields

HYPERIOS PLATFORMS [125]
3 Hyperios Platforms

HYPERIOS PLATFORMS [125]
3 Hyperios Platforms

2 STORM TALONS [200]

2 STORM TALONS [200]

 

Tyranids

Tyranids (Tournament Pack 2016-01-21)
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TYRANID SWARM [500]
5 Termagants, Dominatrix, Symbiote, Zoanthrope, Hormagaunts

TYRANID SWARM [225]
4 Termagants, 2x Tyranid Warriors, 2 Hormagaunts, Zoanthrope

TYRANID SWARM [225]
5 Termagants, 2x Tyranid Warriors, Hormagaunts, Zoanthrope

TYRANID SWARM [225]
5 Termagants, 2x Tyranid Warriors, Hormagaunts, Zoanthrope

TYRANID SWARM [225]
5 Termagants, 2x Tyranid Warriors, Hormagaunts, Zoanthrope

TYRANID SWARM [225]
5 Termagants, 2x Tyranid Warriors, Hormagaunts, Zoanthrope

TYRANID SWARM [425]
3 Termagants, 2x Tyranid Warriors, 3 Hormagaunts, Zoanthrope, 4 Malefactor

BIOVORE SWARM [175]
6 Biovore

LICTOR SWARM [200]
4 Lictors

EXOCRINE SWARM [225]
4 Exocrine

HIERODULE BIO-TITAN [350]

 

Deployment

Imperial Fist deployed in two lines, garrisoned from the left are: Scouts on foot, behind them on the hill are Hyperios platforms, a Thunderfire Battery in the left bunkers, another set of Scouts on foot in the central forest, behind them another set of Hyperios platforms, in the right bunkers are Devastator Centurions, and to the right of them behind the ruin hill are Land Speeders. In the deployment zone from the left are, Scouts in Rhinos, the Land Raider Tacticals, Tacticals in Rinos, out of picture to the right are Land Speeder Tornados screening the Predator Annihilator unit.

On the Tyranid side from their right (left to right in the picture) we have a Swarm, the transported swarm, another swarm, the Hierodule, Biovores, another Swarm, the Dominatrix Swarm, Exocrines, and two more Swarms.

 

Turn 1

Imperial Fist wins initiative but let Tyranids go first.

T 1 - The Dominatrix sustains fire on the Devastator Centurions, and clips one Land Speeder with the macro template. Only the Land Speeder was killed.

IF 1 - Hyperios platforms go on overwatch.

T 2 - Biovores sustain fire on Scouts on IF left flank. No kills

IF 2 - The other Hyperios platform formation go on overwatch

T 3 - A swarm doubles into the center ruins.

IF 3 - Storm Talons ground attack a swarm on the IF right flank to place some BMs, no kills.

T 4 - Another swarm doubles into the ruins in the center. One IF Scout is killed by the Tyranid Warriors.

IF 4 - Tacticals in Rhinos double up behind the minefield and place a blastmarker on one of the swarms.

IF 5 - Retaining initiative the Scouts in the center forest attempts to engage the intermingled swarms in the ruins. They fail and removes blast markers.

T 5 - The Hierodule doubles and kills one Rhino from the Tacticals (not removed on the picture).

IF 6 - The Thunderfire Battery sustains fire on a swarm in the center ruins, 5 brood killed.

T 6 - A swarm doubles to defend an objective on the Tyranid left flank

IF 7 - Storm Talons break the swarm decimated by the Thunderfire Battery, killing the Zoanthrope.

IF 8 - Exocrines trigger overwatch from the Devastator Centurions, no kills.

T 7 - Exocrines advance and target the Devastator Centurions in the right bunker, no kills.

IF 9 - Land Speeders marshal and remove all blast markers, taking position on the right flank ruin hill.

T 8 - Another swarm doubles on the IF left flank. IF Hyperios platforms respond with owerwatch on the Zoanthrope but only places a BM.

IF 10 - Scouts marshals, removing all BMs, and advances to place Hierodule in ZoC.

T 9 - A swarm closes in on the right bunker and places a BM somewhere...


IF 11 - Land Speeder Tornados double behind the center forest and places a BM on the Hierodule.

T 10 - The transported swarm doubles and places a BM on the Hyperios Platforms behind the left bunkers.

IF 12 - Scouts march down the IF left flank

IF 13 - Land Rainder Tacticals advance shooting the Hierodule, causing 2 wounds and breaking the titan. It withdraws behind the center ruins.

IF 14 - Predators double in behind the IF right bunkers shooting the Malefactors with the infantry still inside, but don't manage to kill anything.

Rally phase

Both Storm Talon units disengage with one extra BM each (2 BMs on each unit). All broken Tyranid formations rally.

 

Turn 2

Both IF and Tyranid forces are focused around the IF bunkers. IF has scouts deep down the Tyranid right flank (on the hill partially showing in the top left of the picture) and Tyranids has a swarm to the right of the ruin hill (right side of the picture).

Lictors teleport into the central forest on the IF side (lower right in the picture) without BMs. IF wins initiative.

IF 1 - Thunderfire battery in the left bunkers go on overwatch to defend from the pending Tyranid assault.

IF 2 - Imperial Fist retain initiative and the Land Raider Tacticals engage the Lictors. Lictors are wiped out without losses to the tacticals.

T 1 - The swarm on the Tyranid right flank engages the Scouts left of the IF left bunkers. Scouts are  wiped out but the swarm loose both Tyranid Warriors in the process. They consolidates towards the Tacticals to support in the next engagement...

T 2 - The transported swarm engages the Tacticals and intermingled Scouts, also the Thunderfire battery was acidentally intermingled. 2 Hormagaunts was killed by the Thunderfire overwatch, and both Tyranid Warriors was killed by the IF mines. Combat goes to two rounds but finally the Tyranids pulls of a win. Tacticals are wiped out, Scouts and Thunderfire battery breaks and withdraws. On the Tyranid side only two Malefactors survive. They break and withdraws behind the ruins. Picture of the combat is missing, but result after withdrawals below.

IF 3 - Land Speeder Tornados advance, trying to keep the Tyranids out of the IF left bunkers. They kill a Zoanthrope from the swarm covering in the ruins in front of them.

IF 4 - Retaining the Devastator Centurions attempts to sustain fire on the swarm in front of them but fail and shoots. 4 brood are killed.

T 3 - Biovores sustain fire on the Scouts on the Tyranid right flank, killing one.

T 4 - The Hierodule engages and breaks the Scouts, killing a Rhino.

IF 5 - Hyperios platforms between the IF bunkers go on overwatch.

T 5 - The Dominatrix doubles up to the IF right bunker, shooting at the Centurions. No kills.

IF 6 - Land Speeders advance down from the ruin hill to screen the bunker, scoring one wound on the Dominatrix with their macro weapons.

T 6 - Exocrines sustains fire on the Land Speeders killing three. A single broken Land Speeder withdraws down the Tyranid left flank.

IF 7 - The other set of Hyperios Platforms are placed on overwatch.

T 7 - A swarm engages and breaks the Land Speeder Tornados screening the IF left bunkers

IF 8 - The predators advance shooting the Exocrines, killing one.

T 8 - The remaining 4 units from one of the central swarms occupy the IF left bunkers, killing two stands of broken Thunderfire cannons with a single pot-shot.

IF - 9 A unit of Storm Talons stands down.

T 9 - The swarm in front of the IF right bunkers holds and removes BMs.

IF 10 - The second unit of Storm Talons try to break the Hierodule but fail.

T 10 - A swarm in the Tyranid left flank doubles in behind the IF lines

Rally

Storm Talons disengage without BMs. Scouts on the IF left flank and the single Land Speeder on the IF right flank fails to rally. All Tyranid units rally.

Overview after turn 2. Left bunkers are occupied by a somewhat decimated swarm. Right bunker is still held by IF Centurions but they are threatened by multiple Tyranid swarms and the Dominatrix.

At this point a victory is almost impossible for the Imperial Fist. Tyranids have taken minimal casualties, and almost all formations are still combat effective. I decide to try to limit the damage and try to get at least one victory condition...

 

Turn 3

Imperial Fist wins initiative and I go for BTS.

IF 1 - Devastator Centurions sustain fire on the Dominatrix, killing all brood and causing 1 wound to the Dominatrix.

IF 2 - Retaining the Predator Annihilators also sustains fire on the Dominatrix, but in a combination of bad aiming and good saves from the Dominatrix they only cause one wound. The Dominatrix breaks, withdrawing behind the ruin hill.

T 1 - Exocrines double towards the IF right bunkers, killing two Annihilators.

IF 3 - Thunderfire Battery places a BM on the swarm in the IF left bunkers.

IF 4 - Retaining the Land Raider Tacticals engages the swarm to re-take the bunkers. The swarm is wiped out for no losses to the Tacticals, but the marines don't have enough movement to get into the bunkers...

T 2 - The swarm on the IF right flank engages the rallied scouts, wiping them out for minimal losses.

IF 5 - Storm Talons takes the Dominatrix down to 1 wound.

T 3 - A swarm engages the Devastator Centurions in the right bunker, with a lot of fire support. Centurions are wiped out and most of the swarm is killed, leaving the bunker undefended.

IF 6 - The second unit Storm Talons attack the Dominatrix but fail to hit the tyranid titan.

T 4 - Biovores break the Predators, removing the last line of defense from the IF right flank.

IF 7 - Land Speeder Tornados regroup, removing all BMs, in an attempt to defend the IF blitz.

T 5 - The swarm in the central forest engages, breaks and wipes out the Hyperios platforms

IF 6 - The remaining formation of Hyperios platforms go on overwatch.

T 6 - The remaining Malifactors double and place a BM on the Land Raider Tacticals.

T 7 - The Hierodule doubles and kills a few tacticals.

T 8 - The swarm in front of the left bunkers fails to engage the tacticals, and removes BMs.

 

End of game

The game would have gone to round 4 since neither side had accomplished any victory conditions, but at this point the Imperial Fist concedes the game. At least I managed to deny the Tyranids all victory conditions during turn 3 but turn 4 would have been a complete walkover for the Tyranids...