This batrep was written by Greg Swanson from Chicago. I met Greg back at the last Waaaaagh GT in Tennessee several summers ago. He takes his Grey Knight army up against Fred Fortman's Tyranids in this battle report. Fred is also from the Chicago area and is a great tournament player with lots of big wins throughout his long 40k career as a veteran player. Greg is also a great player as well. : )
Greg's Grey Knight Army
HQ
Mordrak
3x Ghost Knights - halberds
Librarian:
—Sanctuary
—Shrouding
—Might of Titans
—Warp Rift
—Teleport Homer
ELITES
6x Purifiers:
—3x halberd
—2x psycannon
Justicar - daemonhammer
Rhino
TROOPS
5x Terminator
—4x halberds
—daemonhammer
—psycannon
Strike Squad (10x)
—2x psycannon
FAST ATTACK
10x Interceptors
—2x psycannon
Justicar - daemonhammer
Stormraven:
—TLLC
—TLMM
ELITE
Venerable Psyfleman Dreadnaught
Fred's Tyranid Army
HQ
Swarmlord
2x Tyrant Guard
TROOPS
Tervigon
10x Termagant
—Devourer
20x Hormagaunt
—Toxin Sacs
20x Hormagaunt
—Toxin Sacs
17x Genestealer
16x Genestealer
ELITE
Doom of Malantai
Mycetic Spore
3x Hive Guard
3x Hive Guard
We were playing the old corner deployment zone. The three victory conditions were:
• Kill the highest point HQ
• Have the most units within 6" of the center of the table
• Capture & Control
Fred won the roll to go first and put his C&C objective all the way in the very back corner of his deployment zone.
Fred deploys the Swarmlord in the middle of the board behind a big LOS blocking terrain piece in the middle of the table. Hive guard units are on either side. The Tervigon is on my left towards my smaller area of my triangle. Devilgants are behind the Swarmlord. Finally the Hormagaunts were in a line along his deployment zone and another group a little farther back. The Doom was in reserve along with one outflanking genestealer brood. The other large genestealer brood infiltrated.
I placed my objective in the middle of my deployment zone because of all the outflanking genestealers and the need to get to the middle of the table.
I placed my Strike Squad next to a piece of terrain opposite his right flank with the Tervigon and gaunts. I placed the GKT and dreadnaught behind the terrain. The interceptors were placed to the right of the terrain. Mordrak and the Librarian embarked in the Stormraven deployed a little farther back out of range from Fred's Hive Guard range over to my right. The Purifiers embark in their rhino behind the Interceptors.
The Interceptors and the psyfleman were scoring (roll of 4 for the Grand Strategy).
I am thinking this is going to be an uphill battle. It will be very tough to claim the center of the table without everything wiped out. Also it will be hard to kill the Swarmlord and get a scoring unit over to his C&C objective. Oh well maybe I can kill off enough Tyranids and send the Interceptors over there.
Fred places his infiltrating genestealers 18" away form my Strike Squad (in terrain).
I fail to seize the initiative.
Tyranids - Turn 1
Everything moves forward. The Tervigon poops out ten gants but rolls doubles and is done. The gaunts head for Fred's objective. Everything except the Hive Guard runs forward. The Hive Guard kill one Strike and one Interceptor. The Tervigon gives the genestealers FNP... Great - genestealers in cover with FNP. There will be lots of charges the next turn.
Grey Knights - Turn 1
I am at a quandary. The way Fred has set up it's forcing me into the little leg of my triangle. Either I can fall back and shoot and hope for bad fleet rolls or I can move forward and take the fight to them. I decide to do a little of both. Both the Strikes and Interceptors cast Warp Quake anticipating Doom coming in the next turn. The Strikes fall back and shoot at the infiltrating genestealers. The Interceptors move forward 12" towards the leftmost gaunts and shoot them. Everyone else backs up and begins to blast genestealers. Mordrak gets out with his Ghost Knights and the Librarian - they target genestealers as well. The Stormraven knowing it will soon be a burning wreck targets the Swarmlord with all the missiles, multi-melta and the lascannon. I do two wounds to the Swarmlord and one to a Tyrant Guard. The Interceptors kill a few Hormagaunts. Everyone else unloads on the genestealers and I kill maybe like seven after all is said and done. The Interceptors charge the Hormagaunts killing most of them after No Retreat saves - there are three left. This was my first big mistake - I should have shot more at them. If I could have wiped them out and the Interceptors could have got away. Now I have to move in and will be in range of the Swarmlord next turn.
Tyranids - Turn 2
Here comes all the Tyranids! The genestealers come on in my right table edge and move forward. The Doom drops down on my right between the Interceptor combat and the rest of my army. It is out of range for Leech Essence due to fear of mishap. The other genestealers move forward to hopefully get a charge off on the Strikes. Hormagaunts surge forward followed by the Swarmlord moving to get a charge in the Interceptors. The Tervigon and devilgaunts move forward. The spawned gants go sit on Fred's home objective. I cast the Shrouding. The Hive Guard combine to blow up the Stormraven. Doom shoots at the GKT but does nothing. The devilgaunts drop a terminator. Everything else fleets. I then cast Sanctuary. The genestealers assault the Strikes losing maybe two to dangerous terrain. Swarmy goes and talks to the Interceptors. The Swarmlord puts a hurt on the Interceptors killing six of them but they finish off the gaunts. I am able to down the injured Tyrant Guard and put another wound on the Swarmlord... And of course I pass my leadership test. The genestealers swing after the Strikes so I am able to cut the genestealers down to manageable numbers but I'm still take a beating. I think the genestealers are left at about five models and there are four Strikes left.
Grey Knights - Turn 2
The GKT and Ghost Knights turn around to try and shoot the outflanking genestealers who of course are in cover.... The dreadnought gets ready to go in and help out the Strikes. The Interceptors prepare to meet the Emperor. The Ghost Knights, GKT and the two psycannons from the Purifiers shoot down around four genestealers. The dreadnaught and the Strikes finish off the other genestealers leaving me without a DCCW and two more Strikes. The Interceptors are finished off.
Grey Knights - Turn 3
Here comes all the Tyranids again. The devilgants finish off the Strikes, Hive Guard finish off the dreadnaught and destroy the Purifiers' rhino. Doom drops a template on the Purfiers but nothing happens. Everyone else moves forward and fleets - however due to difficult terrain and sanctuary there are no charges.
Grey Knights - Turn 3
It is looking bleak. I have lost both the Strikes and the Interceptors along with the Stormraven, dreadnaught and the rhino. Well Mordrak usually winds up laying in a pile of his comrades' bodies so why should this be any different? I have the Swarmlord, 13 genestealers, a bunch of Hormagaunts, the Doom and whatever the Hell else coming straight at me.
I move forward I am able to multi-charge the Swarmlord, Doom and Hormagaunts with the Librarian, GKT and themPurifiers. Mordrak and his Ghost Knights charge the genestealers. Thus ensues a huge combat - I lose the Librarian, two GKT and three of the Purifiers. However I kill 14 gaunts, one Tyrant Guard and put another wound on old Swarmy (by the way the Swarmlord rolled abysmally killing>>^> only one Grey Knight). The Swarmlord, Doom and the gaunts all die to No Retreat saves. The Ghost Knights kill about seven genestealers take some casualties. I am left with one Ghost Knight and a wounded Mordrak. They passes morale with five genestealers left.
Tyranids - Turn 4
Well that was quite a blow to Fred but he still has all of his shooting left. The devilgants polish off the Purifiers while the Hive Guard finish off the GKT. I kill all but one of the genestealers, lose the last Ghost Knight and take another wound on Mordrak.
Grey Knights - Turn 4
Modrak kills the last genestealer and makes his peace with the Emperor.
Tyranids - Turn 5
Mordrak dies in a hail of deadly Tyranid firepower.
Conclusion
It was an uphill game from the beginning and I made a couple of tactical mistakes. I should have shot more at the gaunts and that might have freed up the Interceptors. I also set up poorly and was in combat too early. Oh well it was a great game.
So another big win for Tyranids versus a solid Grey Knight army - it can be done.
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