Battle Report #26: Lahkers & Chaos Marines vs Hive Fleet Basilisk

TYRAHNID INCAHSHUN!

After discovering how truly crap I am at 40k, I needed a plain old fun game.  I got together with Ike and Nathaniel once again, and we had a 2v1 of me and Ike's Necrons and CSM versus Nathaniel's Tyranids.  They are the splinter fleet Basilisk, based off Hive Fleet Basilisk, with the Endless Swarm formation.

Lahkers:

Overlord (Phaeron Shahk) w/Warscythe, Phase Shifter, Phylactery, Resorb

5x Lychguard w/sword and shield

Triarch Stalker w/heat ray

10x Immortals

3 10x Warriors

Ike's CSM:

Chaos Lord w/ MoS, Chainaxe, Burning Brand of Skalathrax

20x Noise Marines w/ Icon of excess, 19 sonic blasters, champion w/ chainaxe, doom siren

Rhino w/ Havok launcher, dozer blade

10x Chaos Cultists w/ flamer

Sonic Dreadnought w/ Blastmaster, warp amp

Vindicator "Vindictive George" w/ Demonic Possession

Hive Fleet Basilisk:
Endless Swarm

2 17x Hormagaunts
2 18x Hormagaunts (Both with Toxin Sacs)
2 13x Termagants 3w/ Devourer
14x Termagants 4w/ Devourer
3 Warriors
(Devourer, Scything Talons, Toxin sac)
(Deathspitter, Lashwhip & Boneswords, Toxin sacs)
(Deathspitter, Scything talons, Toxin sac)

Hive Fleet Detachment
Hive Tyrant (Boneswords, Heavy Venom Cannon, Prehensile Pincer Tail, Regeneration, Shreddershard beetles, The Norn Crown, Toxin Sacs)
5 Genestealers
5 Ripper swarms W/spine fists
3 Warriors (Dethspitter, Rending claws, Toxin sacs) (Boneswords, Deathspitter, Toxin sacs) (Boneswords, Rending Claws, Toxin sacs)
10x Gargoyles
3x Raveners W/devourer
Carnifex W/Bone Mace, Crushing Claws, Regeneration, Toxin Sacs
Trygon Prime W/Acid Blood, Prehensile Pincer, Regeneration, Toxin Sacs)

We played with the custom Crash Site mission I'd played with a few weeks earlier, from the gaming club.  There were the 4 objectives in the table corners, worth 1VP, and the center objective worth 2VP in the 24" bubble of permanent Night Fighting.

Me and Ike parked our forces on the bottom left of the board, around the ruins.  We had discussed earlier that Ike's list would be the high-Str/Ignores Cover shooting, and I would be the meat shields and general anti-infantry shooting.  We had a vehicle on each flank (two on our right) and my Lychguard in the center to block hostile 'gaunts.  Phaeron Shahk was present for his second battle ever, eager to break some skulls and show off his fancy new coat of paint.

Nathaniel threw down a field of critters.  Termagants were in the center, with Hormagaunts flanking them, with Warriors and the Hive Tyrant spread out to provide synapse.

Nathaniel stole the initiative!

Turn 1.  Nathaniel's living carpet of models advanced across the board, and the first thing the Rippers did was walk out of synapse.  He got Dominion off on his Tyrant and got them back in synapse range, however.  A smattering of shooting killed 4 of my Necron Warriors and a Lychguard.

On our turn, I advanced the Lychguard out to tie up the nearest Hormagaunts, and our combined shooting killed a Hormagaunt blob for First Blood and then wiped out the Genestealers on on our left flank.  The Noise Marine blob and Vindicator did the majority of the killing.  Ike forgot to have his Cultists hop into the adjacent building and sealed their fate as 'nid snacks.

Turn 2.  All Nathaniel's reserves came in.  The Trygon Prime erupted in the middle of our defenses, and the Gargoyles and Raveners deep-struck on the right and left flanks.  Sheer weight of fire killed off the rest of the Lychguard, leaving Shahk to stand alone.  A few Marines died as well, and the Rippers ate the Cultists for lunch.  Shahk got charged by both units of Termagants, and got into an extended combat with them.

During our turn, we hosed the Hormagaunts in the ruins on the left, and also blew the Raveners off the board.  I inched my troops back and killed off Gargoyles, the Night Fighting bubble saved a few of the flying bugs.  The Stalker took a wound from the Trygon Prime, and I think Ike had his Marine blob charge it in the assault phase.  We also realized Shahk's fight with the Termagants was the most ludicrous tarpit ever; at S3 they could only wound him 1-2 times a phase, he could easily save those wounds, but he couldn't kill them fast enough to get out of combat.  That was in my and Ike's favor, though, since that was 2 whole blobs of Termagants not shooting and charging our other more important units.  (Sorry, Shahk, you weren't the spotlight of that game.)

Turn 3.  The Rippers had drifted out of synapse range again, but Nathaniel turned it around again when he made their Ld5 instinctive behavior check!  Good for the little buggies.  The Warriors and Carnifex got closer to our lines, and the last few Hormagaunts on our left managed to lock my Immortals in combat.  The Shahk-Termagant combat went nowhere, as predicted.  (Not that Shahk wasn't having a great time, chopping up 'gants left and right.)

Ike advanced his Sonic Dread towards the Shahk-Termagant mess, my Warriors on the left headed down to the left bottom objective, and the Stalker climbed into the ruins to help out with the Trygon-Marine combat.

Turn 4.  The Tyranid swarm was really getting into our faces at this point.  Nathaniel finally got an Endless Swarm roll off, and brought a unit of Termagants in by the Trygon.  Putting the Trygon in our backline, and having it pull our fire away from the regular bugs had definitely worked out for him.  The Hive Tyrant hoofed it into combat with Shahk and challenged, and they duked it out.  Shahk got 2 wounds in on the Tyrant and took 1 wound in return.  The Trygon Prime turned around and punched my Stalker into next week.  It exploded and killed most of the 'gants that had just come in.  Welp.

Me and Ike moved our units to cap the left-board objectives, the Rhino at the top left, my Warriors at the bottom left, strung around the ruins to give some fire support to the rest of our forces.  The Tyrant slew Shahk, and it and one unit of 'gants consolidated towards my Immortals, leaving the Sonic Dread to deal with the other unit of 'gants.

Turn 5. The 'nids had all but eaten my warriors on the bottom edge of the board.  The Tyrant and a couple Hormagaunts that had survived (or come back from Endless Swarm?  I forget) charged and wiped out my Immortals.  The Noise Marines killed the Trygon Prime at last, but it had done its job already.

Our turn, the Vindicator and Rhino were still alive and plinking away at the Warriors and Carnifex.  Not a lot happened, we pulled our units towards the objectives and killed off 'gaunts of both types.  The Sonic Dread won its assault and consolidated onto the center objective.

We rolled for game end.  It went to Turn 6.  Nathaniel seized this chance for all it was worth, sending his Hormagaunts into my Warriors, his Carnifex into the Sonic Dreadnought, and the Hive Tyrant into Ike's Chaos Lord.  My notes do not record what happened to the Warriors, however the Hive Tyrant slew the Chaos Lord, and the Carnifex blew up the Sonic Dread.  We were about to roll for game end when Ike, being a good sport, reminded Nathaniel still could make his assault consolidation move for his Carnifex.  Nathaniel did so, and consolidated just barely into range of the center objective.

With both our warlords dead (we counted them as separate warlords, both giving Slay the Warlord for 2VP together), and the Carnifex's clutch consolidation, the Tyranids took the game.  Nathaniel had 5VP–2VP for Slay the Warlord twice, Line Breaker, and the center objective worth 2VP.  Me and Ike had 3VP–First Blood and two objectives.

I didn't care that I lost.  Shahk got to show off his new paint job (done the night before), I got to see Nathaniel's newly-painted Tyranids, we had a fun afternoon.  It's easier to lose to friends.  It's okay to be the underdog.

Battle Report #19: Casual Lahkers vs Chaos Space Marines/Orks

Played a casual match with Ike recently.  I got to test a Maelstrom list for Byrahn to lead, a list that wouldn't fall apart on Turn 2, and see Ike's newly-painted Iron Warriors.

Command Center ate my list, so here it is in regular old type form.  We played 1750 point lists.

Lahkers CAD
Necron Overlord (Byrahn) w/warscythe, phase shifter, Veil of Darkness
10x Warriors in Ghost Ark
10x Immortals w/gauss
3x Tomb Blades w/particle beamer, shield vanes, nebuloscope
7x Lychguard w/hyperphase sword and dispersion shield (with Byrahn)
8x Triarch Praetorians w/voidblade and particle caster
Destroyer Cult:
Destroyer Lord w/Solar Staff, phase shifter
3x Destroyers
3x Destroyers
3x Destroyers
3x Heavy Destroyers

Ike's Iron Warriors & Orky pals
Iron Warriors
Chaos Lord w/power sword, plasma pistol, Mark of Khorne, sigil of corruption
10x Cultists w/flamer, autopistol-and-CCW
10x Cultists w/heavy stubber, autoguns
20x Chaos Space Marines w/Icon of Vengeance
4x Chaos Space Marines w/bolt pistol-and-CCW, Aspiring Champion has 2x lightning claws and gift of mutation, all in Chaos Rhino (dirge caster, extra armour, dozer blade, smoke launchers)
3x Chaos Spawn, each on their own
Mayhem Pack:
3x Helbrutes w/multi-melta, power fist
Orks
Painboy w/urty syringe, dok's tools
10x Boyz in trukk
5x Deffkoptas w/choppa, twin-linked rokkit launcha
10x Lootas w/deffgun and stikkbombs

We rolled Big Guns Never Tire on Dawn of War deployment.  Objectives were placed nearly straight across the center of the table, one each in the big ruins, one in the very center by the giant Chaos meat patty, one in the round cacti field.
Warlord traits: I got Eternal Warrior for Byrahn, Ike got the one on the CSM table that lets him infiltrate D3 units.

From left to right, I deployed the Praetorians, Lychguard with Byrahn, Immortals, Destroyer Lord, and Ghost Ark as my front line.  On my second line, left to right, I had Destroyers, more Destroyers, and then the Heavy Destroyers.  The last squad of Destroyers and Tomb Blades I kept in reserve.

Ike put the Chaos Lord, his Rhino, and the Boyz and Painboy in their Trukk went in the center.  On my right he put the Deffkoptas, and on the very table edge, in the ruins, the Lootas.  Three Chaos Spawn, each alone, were spaced roughly equadistant across his front line.  He had the two Cultists squads and the 20-man CSM blob infiltrate at 18" away, the CSM going in the center, the Cultists in line with the two large ruins.  He held his Ferrus Infernum Dreadnought and Helbrute Mayhem Pack in reserve.

GAME TURN 1

Turn 1 - Me

I moved the Praetorians, Lychguard, and Destroyer Lord up, intending to use them to stall Ike's advancing units.  Both regular Destroyer squads moved up too, one behind the Praetorians, one into cover in the central ruins.  In the Shooting phase, I picked off a few models here and there, but didn't do anything spectacular (though I may have killed one of the Spawn).

Turn 1 - Ike

Ike uniformly moved his army forwards, sending the Cultists into the ruins on my left, his Trukk and CSM blob into the center, and scooting his Deffkoptas up to threaten my Ghost Ark.  The Chaos Spawn rocketed across the field, one targeting my Praetorians, one targeting the Destroyers in the ruins, and where the third one was either dead already or died in a boring and unmemorable manner.  Speaking of dying.  The Deffkoptas opened up on the Ark, and it Jinked both them and the Lootas' shooting.  Ike's shooting was about as (in)effective as mine, killing maybe one Praetorian and Lychguard, and a Destroyer in the ruins.  The Spawn all got into combat, one dying to my Praetorians, the other having more success against my Destroyers.

GAME TURN 2

Turn 2 - Me

I rolled reserves, and got both the Tomb Blades and Destroyers.  I deep-struck the Destroyers in Ike's back line, and brought the Tomb Blades in on my right flank to deal with the Lootas.  Turn 2 moving was very similar to my Turn 1 moving, with the exception of the Immortals and Heavy Destroyers shuffling forward further for better targets.  I made a tactical blunder on my left, bringing my Destroyers too close to the Chaos Rhino, and not screening the Rhino with my Praetorians.  I wrecked the Rhino, but the Chaos Lord and his squad slipped out towards my Destroyers which had not been properly screened by the Praetorians.  Yes, I am still kicking myself for this.  The Immortals and Heavy Destroyers dealt a few wounds to the Deffkoptas, and the Tomb Blades killed a few Lootas, and would have killed a lot more had I remembered they had the Nebuloscope (AP4 blasts with Ignores Cover = a lot of dead Orks).  The Lychguard and Destroyer Lord charged the CSM blob and began hacking them down to size.  I lost a Destroyer to that annoying Chaos Spawn in the ruins.

Turn 2 - Ike

Ike rolled for reserves, got his Infernum Dread in, but thankfully did not get the Helbrutes.  The angry Chaos Dreadnought used Outflank and waddled threateningly onto my left flank.  The Chaos Lord lunged at my exposed Destroyers on the left flank, the Trukk dropped its Boyz in the center field and then backed up towards my deep-striking Destroyers, and dropped off the Painboy.  The Deffkoptas chased my Ark around.  The Lootas and both Cultist squads sat tight in their cover.  The Deffkoptas once again failed to hurt the Ark.  Not much else happened in Shooting, I may have lost a Praetorian to the Cultists.  Then the Chaos Lord got stuck in with my Destroyers, the Spawn ate my last Destroyer in the ruins, and the Boyz joined in the Lychguard-CSM mosh pit in the center.  The Painboy got into combat with my Destroyers.

GAME TURN 3

Turn 3 - Me

The Immortals, Heavy Destroyers, and Tomb Blades scooted further into my right flank.  The Praetorians realized their terrible mistake and doubled back to bail the Destroyers out, or at least avenge their deaths.  This time, I remembered the Nebuloscope, and wiped the Loots out in one volley.  I think I disembarked the Warriors from the Ark, seeing that it would be Jinking for some turns to come.  The rest of my turn was passed in assault, where the Lychguard, Orks, and CSM all whaled on each other in good old bloody hand-to-hand combat.  Byrahn and the Destroyer Lord were having a blast.  All three squads were losing models, but I was coming out on top thanks to my the Lychguards' 3++ and AP3, and the fact that all my models were T5 or T6.  The Praetorians got into the CSM-Destroyer combat and began slapping down Chaos Marines.  Not much happened with the Painboy-Destroyer combat.

Turn 3 - Ike

Ike finally got his Helbrutes in, and had them deep-strike roughly in my center back line.  The Helbrutes weren't terribly effective in their shooting, but did pen the Ghost Ark and bring down its Quantum Shields.  He had his Painboy head towards my Destroyers in his lines.  Again, most of the turn was in assault.  The Chaos Lord and his CSM killed my Destroyers, however my Praetorians killed off all his bodyguards.  The Infernum Dread waddled into combat, assuring my Praetorians' eventual destruction.  I think the last Spawn had run over to join this combat at this point.  My Destroyers put a wound on the Painboy.

GAME TURN 4

Turn 4 - Me

The Warriors scrambled into the spiky plants to hold the objective there, and the Heavy Destroyers got as far away from the Helbrutes as they could.  Seeing how low my model count was getting in the Lychguard-CSM combat (I'd killed the Orks off at this point), I send the Immortals over to make sure I won the fight.  I had the Tomb Blades cruise towards the Cultist squads as well.  The Heavy Destroyers immobilized one Helbrute and reduced it to 1HP.  The Praetorians killed the Chaos Lord and Spawn, and then were squashed flat by the Infernum Dread.  Worth it.  The Immortals joined the Lychguard-CSM combat, and helped Byrahn and the Destroyer Lord deal the final blows.  Byrahn and his one remaining Lychguard consolidated towards the objective and the Proxy-Helbrute, and the Destroyer Lord headed for the large ruins with the Cultists.  My Destroyers killed the Painboy and consolidated towards the same Cultists.

Turn 4 - Ike

Ike had the Infernum Dread head towards center field, and had the Helbrutes fire on whatever they could.  I think I lost a Tomb Blade to them.  The Deffkoptas, what few remained, tried to chase down my Destroyers behind Ike's lines.  Then the Infernum Dread headed for my Tomb Blades, and I think the Proxy-Helbrute charged Byrahn and the Lychguard.  The other Helbrute charged and annihilated my Heavy Destroyers.  My models held fast and I believe Byrahn wrecked the Proxy-Helbrute in a single round.  The Destroyers got stuck in with the Cultists, and lost one Destroyer to a dangerous terrain roll on the charge.  Meh.  One Cultist made his t-shirt 6+ save (Destroyers have no AP), proving that products from a Noise Marine concert can come in handy.

GAME TURN 5

Turn 5 - Me

I had the Destroyers move into the large ruins to contest the Cultist-held objective, with the Destroyer Lord following close behind.  Byrahn and the Lychguard headed for the remaining mobile Helbrute.  The Immortals killed the remaining Deffkoptas, and the Ghost Ark (still alive, to my surprise) turned towards the Helbrutes.  The Destroyers-Cultist combat went nowhere, the Destroyer Lord whiffed on his charge, and Byrahn charged and killed his second Helbrute.  (Props to the Lychguard for being an excellent meat shield.)

Turn 5 - Ike

Ike's remaining Helbrute shot at Byrahn, I believe, and was once more frustrated by the Lychguard's 3++.  The Infernum Dread marched into combat with my Immortals and killed four of them.

I get the feeling we actually went for 6 turns, but I don't know for sure.  I didn't take notes for this game.  I do know it didn't get to Turn 7.

Regardless, at the end of the game, I had 2 objectives (6VP), and Slay the Warlord and First Blood and a Heavy Support kill (3VP total), for a final total of 9VP.  Ike had 2 objectives (2VP), Line Breaker, and one Heavy Support kill (2VP total) for a final total of 8VP.  Lahker victory!

Ike said afterwards a Khorne Daemonkin list might have been better.  I personally think it was a worthy list, the only problem being his Mayhem Pack didn't make it in till turn 3.  Not having 9 total HP of angry Chaos walkers to deal with until things were half over was 40-50% the reason I won, I would say.  I liked how this list panned out.  I want to get in the practice of winning games again without resorting to the Decurion.

Extra Pics:

Do not apply Chaos Spawn to face, hands, body, belongings, friends, or anything, really.

How not to screen enemy units off.

Best fisticuffs I've seen in a long time.