I had the opportunity this afternoon to get in a match versus Grey Knights with my tendril. I was using almost the exact same list as in my recent game versus Space Pups. Grey Knights are a tougher matchup due to their many inherent advantages versus Tyranids but I was focused on exploiting their inherent weaknesses. Deployment was Pitched Battle. The mission used the BeakyCon 40k format - three objectives all equally weighted - killpoints, Seize Ground plus Capture and Control. Whichever player takes the most objectives wins the game. If there is a draw on the three objectives then victory points are used as the tie breaker.
Tyranid Reserve Army List (2000 points)
Here is my abbreviated army list:
Alpha Warrior - pair of bone swords, adrenal glands & scything talons
Trygon Prime - adrenal glands
Trygon Prime - adrenal glands
10x Yrmgal genestealer
2x Zoanthropes - mycetic spore
Doom of Malanti (DoM) - mycetic spore
20x termagant w. Devourers (devilgants)- mycetic spore
10x genestealer w. toxin sacs & scything talons incl. Broodlord
10x genestealer w. toxin sacs & scything talons incl. Broodlord
3x Warrior - adrenal glands, 2x deathspitter, barbed strangler, pair of bone swords - mycetic spore
10x Hormogaunt - adrenal glands & toxin sacs
Before I go into the detail of the actual batrep here is the background for my army. A splinter of the Gehuibius fleet has come upon the fringes of the easternmost Imperial system. Psychic gestalt is powerful in the area for some unknown reason and the Tyranids are feeding upon it in droves. While this area is not of any particular importance to the Imperium it has been chosen as a training ground certain chapters of the Astartes. At first victories seemed almost easily assured but now losses are starting to mount and there is a concern as the splinter has drawn back the attention of it's parent tendril. A huge number of Hive ships are reported returning to the area en masse. What once almost considered a farce is now a steadily growing concern. More resources are being committed to staunch the ever increasing rapid xenos growth.
Pre Game Analysis
As I said Grey Knights have a lot of inherent advantages versus Tyranids (e.g., psykout grenades, psychic hood, Warp Quake, etc.). Grey Knights can easily pull a victory but it seems that Tyranids have to work it really hard for a win. The mission featured three equally weighted objectives - kill points, Seize Ground plus Capture and Control. My army has lots of scoring units so I have to focus on taking the objective markers. I am playing a pure reserve army and have switched out my Hive Guard for Zoanthropes. Small elite armies such as Grey Knights need to castle so using Null Deployment tactics can take away some of their inherent strengths. Tyranids have some psychic defense so I would need to exploit that facet of my army. My opponent only had three scoring units (two Strike squads and the Paladins via the Grand Strategy) so I concentrated on taking out the weak ones (i.e., Strike squads). Strike squads have the psychic power Warp Quake to nerf deep striking units but fortunately Tyranids have ample other methods of entering the battlefield via reserve while still coming in close to the enemy. My game plan was to win on Capture and Control plus Seize Ground. This strategy meant I would have to take some risks and saturate the area on the battlefield holding the most objectives.
One my strategies versus small elite armies is to place objective markers close to a short table edge where I think my opponent will castle so my outflanking genestealers can quickly hit any enemy units deployed to guard those. I also try to avoid combat with the more resilient Grey Knight units such as Paladins... They will just chew you up and spit you back out so there is no reason to engage them in my opinion.
Abbreviated Grey Knight Army
Grand Master - psychotropic grenades, rad grenades, warding stave
Librarian - Might of Titans, Quicksilver, Sanctuary, Shrouding, Warp Rift, warding stave
5x Paladin - Brotherhood banner, psycannon, 2x daemonhammer
Vindicare assassin
Dreadnaught - 2x twin linked autocannon, psybolt ammo
Dreadnaught - 2x twin linked autocannon, psybolt ammo
Landraider Crusader - extra armor, multi-melta
5x Grey Knight (Strike squad) - psycannon, daemonhammer - razorback w. twin linked lascannon
5x Grey Knight (Strike squad) - psycannon, daemonhammer - razorback w. twin linked lascannon
The second part of this article will feature the actual battle report. The batrep should be up very soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment