Battle Report: Brotherhood Vs Tyranids

Last weekend I played the Card Pimp in Question's new Nid army.  I played a variation of the Brotherhood, testing the new Scouts and Hunter squads with Plasma.  I also loaded two Fangs units - with reduced Missiles - in Rhinos, to test firing out of the hatch.

The three centralized Rhinos have Hunters; 10-strong, two plasma in the grey, 8-strong w WG and Rune Priest in the center, and 8-strong w WG in the last.  The Rhinos on the wings were the aforementioned Long Fangs, plus there was a unit of Fangs with an attached Terminator with Cyclone in the ruins.

The Card Pimp had the Swarmlord with Guard, two Hive Guard x2, and 3 Biovores in the central ruins - which mostly blocked line of sight throughout the game.  He was flanked by two Gant units.  He had three 10-strong Stealers Outflanking and one Zoanthrope in a Pod Deepstriking.

I was practicing screening techniques with the Rhinos.  One moves max, pops smoke, and blocks for the other two.  I killed off a Hive Guard, I think.  Bah!

In a surprise move, the Card Pimp stays put.  In hindsight, he was absolutely right.  He moves forward, I toast him.  He stayed put to wait for the Genestealers.  Again, most of his quality is completely obscured by the terrain.

Bottom of 2.  The CP had immobalized a Rhino with Hive Guard fire.  In my turn, they hop out.  My Scouts come in and toast the Gants.  I only rolled a 1 for Sweeping Advance, so the Scouts were in trouble.  I thought I could get away... but  it wasn't to be.  The Tyrant Guard will move out to get me.  (Swarmy can leave them, right?)

I'm missing some pics.  Here, the Card Pimp in Question's Genestealers rolled for crap: only one came in and didn't manage to make it to my line.  That marker is playing the part of a Pod... and there was a Zoanthrope there.  I blew it up, but didn't manage to kill 100% of the Stealers.  Worrisome.

So now I have two Rhinos immobilized, yet for some strange reason I think my Hunters will be fine all unsupported in the enemy ranks.  Uh.  I have two Scouts falling back, so my (stupid) idea was to rescue the squad.

Uh, oh.

Side view.  I have two Grey Hunters, a remnant Fang squad, and a Scout Squad at risk.

Ah, the heros of the hour.  The Hive Guard had no problem de-meching these boys.  The Swarm Lord should have no problem charging them, darn it all.

1.

2.

3 hits with the Biovores.  27 hits!

Worse, the Biovores pinned the unit!  AND my other Grey Hunters were pinned bailing out of the wrecked Rhino.  Yea, count it: two pinned units in one turn (marked by blue markers in the pic above).

Back to 'Uh, oh.'  Ultimately the Stealer unit on the right rolled a 1 for its Run move, so the Hunters in the building will only be assaulted by one unit.  It's still enough to put paid to 'em, but I'll hold them a bit.

The Swarmlord fails its Difficult Terrain move - more good luck!

Not good, no sir.

The little two-strong Stealers whiffed against the Scouts!  More luck... not exactly covering myself in glory here.

So the Stealers inside the building will finish eating my Hunters and Priest, but I held them for one more vital turn... largely to a mistake the CP made allowing the Rune Priest to hold.  In the next turn, I'll have enough local firepower to ace what's left.

So... the Swarm Lord didn't make it this turn, but I'm still pinned.  He'll get another chance!

And there he went!  The Swarm Lord munches through the Hunters no problem, but he'd also charged with the Gants (to keep them out of line of sight of the remaining Fangs).  Basically, the Hunters targeted the easier Gant unit, allowing them to only lose the combat by 1 point.  They'll stick.

I move up and toast the remaining Stealers, despite cover saves.

This is what's called a 'temporary respite.'

Here he comes.  Both Rhinos are still up, so he can't charge through to the  Hunters.  He'll ace the Rhino.

A wide shot.  Note I still have Long Fangs in the two flanking Rhinos... but they didn't really do squat this game.  They were way to out of position.  The idea is sound, but my execution... not so much.

The game is coming to a close.  The Swarm munches one tank...

...then the other.  I blow him away, finally.  

The Card Pimp in Question managed to hide his remaining units in the center terrain, completely out of line of sight to my remaining units.  I'm grossly out of position and one Kill Point down.

Note the Pod-Which-Isn't-a-Pod... using a CD to represent it caused both of us to forget it... so I could have tied things up by destroying it in the bottom of Turn 5 or 6...

...but the CP would without a doubt have destroyed a Rhino with the remaining Hive Guard.

Any way you slice this, the Brotherhood got its collective butts kicked!

And they deserved it.  The Card Pimp in Question played his ass off, finding good moves even in the turns where luck went south (as it always does).  I, on the other hand, was playing a reactive game and didn't take advantage of my resources properly.

It's why you play test stuff though.  I'll be back!