Battle Report - Black Consuls Vs Tyranids

Wednesday September 5th - 500 points - Tyranids (Wiggy) vs Black Consuls (SM - Phil)

So here goes with the first 'proper' battle report from the 'Tale of a Few.' We had decided to play the 'Battle Recon' mission from near the end of the main rulebook as it suggests the ideal size is 500 points and I thought it would be good rather than playing one of the full blown scenarios. I wanted to use a Tyranid Prime but was yet to convert one, so Phil thankfully was ok we me use an Ork Warboss as a proxy also due to Phil's busy August his Black Consuls looked suspiciously like my Imperial Fists...shhh, don't tell anyone.

The table was set up as shown

The Army

Black Consul - Codex Space Marines
Pedro Kantor
5 Sternguard - 2 combi-melta
10 Tactical Marines - Power axe, Flamer, Missile Launcher (Split into 2 combat squads, missile in one Vet Sergeant and flamer in the other.)

Tyranids
Tyranid Prime - Pair Boneswords, Scything Talons, Toxin Sacs
3 Tyranid Warriors - Scything Talons, Rending Claws
10 Termagants
10 Termagants
13 Hormagaunts
3 Raveners - Rending claws

Phil won the roll for table corner and set up from the top left corner with the missile squad advanced onto the table and the flamer squad ready to advance round the small black building towards the wood. Kantor deployed with the Sternguard ready to take the objective placed in the small black building as his warlord trait also gave him and his unit 'Feel no Pain' while holding an objective.
I deployed in the opposite corner with the Raveners pointed towards the woods, Hormagaunts centered between the Termagants and Synapse web behind. The Prime got Move through cover for himself and all within 12" which helped him, warriors and 'Gants. No seizing of the initiative so with a handshake the game was on.

Turn 1
The marines advance with the missile squad going past the building and flamer squad split the other way, with Kantor reaching his objective. There was no marine shooting as everyone ran.
The Tyranids all run forwards at top speed and end up positioned in the picture below.

Marines hold 1 objective - VP 2-0

Turn 2
The flamer squad advance nearer the 'Nids and kill 2 hormagaunts with bolt guns. The Sternguard are slowed by difficult terrain while going into the building and use their Kraken rounds for extra range but don't manage to kill any more Hormaguants. The Missle launcher misses with its Krak missile but a bolt gun causes a wound on the Raveners.
For the Tyranids more running (or slithering) was the order of the day with the troops all moving up as seen in the picture below.

As the Raveners advanced into the wood it turns out to be a carnivorous jungle and the Raveners suffer 2 wounds from the hungry trees.

Marines hold 1 objective, Tyranid 2 - VP 2-4

Turn 3
The flamer squad advance to bring themselves into rapid fire range but through the magic of Phil dice rolling only a single Hormagaunt is killed despite being in the open.

 Phil and his amazing ones

Kantor decides to use his orbital strike to target the Warriors and Termagants holding rear objective but it scatters too far and the Kraken rounds again fail to do any damage. The Missile combat squad opens up on the now very nearby Raveners and causes 2 wounds with boltguns but a tree saves a Ravener from instant death.

The Tyranids are now ready to assualt and the little guys jump on the flamer squad, taking no wounds from overwatch on the way in. 

They Hormagaunts striking first with 33 attacks manage to kill a single marine through some bad 'to wound' rolls and I feel a little nervous but striking at the same time the Termagants pull down another 2 for the loss of 2 Termagants in return. The marines hold from the attack.
The Raveners get overwatched by boltguns of doom! and one is killed on the way in, Leaving 2 Raveners each with a single wound to fight. They kill 2 marines on the charge and one dies in return leaving a lone Ravener to fight 3 marines. We realised in this turn that Kantors attack boost is permanent and so both combat squads were kicking out twice the attacks I thought they would be.

Marines hold 1 objective, Tyranid 1 - VP 2-2

Turn 4
Kantor and the Sternguard advance but being still in cover and feeling decidedly like the dice hate him, Phil decides to shoot the Warriors in the wood rather than assualt the little guys. He manages to kill a warrior outright and wound another as the Kraken rounds and Kantors weapon ignore the saves so I have to rely on trees. The little guys manage to kill neither the flamer or the Vet Serg and loose 2 Hormagaunts in return but remain fearless due to the synapse web. While the Ravener and missile squad slap each other rather tan use real weapons so cause no damage.

In the Tyranids turn the Warriors and Prime are close enough to launch an assault on the combat squad and kill them very handily, bone swords on a strength 5 model with re-roll to wound is mean! The little bugs do what little bugs do best and that is to die but stay around due to synapse.

Marines hold 1 objective, Tyranid 2 and first blood - VP 2-5 

Turn 5

Not much left to move with now but 300 points of Marine bad ass now makes it into the fight and manage to wipe out the 9 Hormagaunts and reduce the Termagants down to 4. Thankfully being in synapse range they don't care and nicely hold them up for.......
The charging big bugs. The Ravener takes down the Vet Serg and the Tyranid Prime kills 3 Sternguard. The Warriors cause a wound on Kantor but both remaining ones are then splatted by the power fist.

Tyranid 1 objective and first blood - VP 0-3  

Turn 6
In the last turn there is just the single combat to resolve, Kantor manages to wound the Tyranid Prime before falling to the second batch of attacks (completely forgot the bonesword test for instant killing first time around) and the Ravener kills the last of the Sternguard. Wipe out

So the bugs have had their first game and the following things stick in my head.

• The little bugs being fearless is awesome for holding stuff up to be pounced on. Will like getting either Gargoyles or infiltrating Genestealers to tie stuff up faster.
• The Prime kills basic troops phenomenally well. Will be more aggressive next time.
• The beast ability to ignore cover when moving through makes Raveners a very fast threat

Thanks for the game Phil, hope to see some of your thoughts and/or comments in the replies