My Army:
Parasite
Prime w/Dual Bone Swords
2 Lictors
3 Hive Guard
3 Hive Guard
15 Genestealers
14 Genestealers
10 Genestealers
19 Hormagants
5 Raveners w/Rending Claws
5 Raveners w/Rending Claws
20 Gargoyles w/Adrenal Glands & Toxin Sacs
I brought the lictors because, by god, I wanna try them out. Plus it's another back field threat if I don't roll horribly. On to game #1.
The format is that there are 3 objectives. The 3 objectives are the same every game. They are all the rulebook mission. So you're playing for KP's, 3 Regular Objectives, and 2 "Base" Objective. If you win an objective then it's worth 10pts. If you tie it then it's worth 5. Tabling is worth a bonus 5pts but you can only score a maximum of 30 per game.
Deployment: Pitch Battle
Opponents Army List (Tau): Approximately
And to be fair to my opponent about what you're going to read I don't think he'd played his Tau in more than a little while.
Commander (3 Wound) w/2 Shield Drones, Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod
2 Bodyguards w/Burst Cannon, Missile Pod, 1 w/2 Gun Drones
2 Crisis Suites w/Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, 2 Shield Drones, 2 Gun Drones
2xCrisis Suit w/TL-Fusion Blaster, Targetting Array
3x6 Fire Warriors
2x20 Kroot Warrior
3x6 Pathfinder w/Devilfish
Hammerhead w/Railgun, 2xBurstcannons
2 Broadside w/2 Shield Drones
I won the roll to go first and deployed centrally. He deploys as seen below. This is after his scout moves.
The above shows my first move. I move up fast, trying to close. He had moved up his devilfish to start blocking assaults. I manage to down one on the left you can't see and charge all the drones he put down to "distract" me. I manage to shake another Devilfish.
On his turn he moves up where I failed to fall my genestealers on the right back into cover from the consolidation and manages to kill 14/15 Genestealers with a single unit. That was the majority of the damage he did on his turn. On my next (2) I move up and assault his HQ unit w/the Parasite who is going one on one w/his Suit Commander. My middle Genestealers hit his Broadsides while my far left genestealers his a troop choice. My Raveners move up and assault another troop choice. I wipe out both troop units. Now in combat the Parasite instant poofs his commander but fails to make some babies. I actually lose combat because even though I was pretty sure it was majority WS2 but didn't push it. I lost an extra few gargoyles but lock in. Table looks like this at the bottom of 2.
On his turn one kroot squad comes in on the left and a Monat drops on that building you see on the left. He wipes out the Hormagants on his turn and the Genestealers on the left. My Genestealers are locked in combat with his Broadsides because he's rolling to hit on 4's instead of 5's after I again asked him what the WS on his Broadsides is and he says 3....But it's all good.
On my turn (3) I go on a killing spree and the end result is this:
I consolidate my genestealers assuming as turn 4. We don't get it and so we tie on 2 of the objectives for 10 points and only win the KP one...
So we got in 3 turns which kept me from tabling my opponent. My lictors were pounding on his suits (again his suits hitting on 4's...) on the left but he only had his 2 kroot units, 2 monats, and his last pathfinder squad. I've got both units of Raveners fully decked, both units of hive guard ready to rock and my genestealers. But it was a pretty good game and he was a nice guy so it's all good.
I really enjoyed how fast this army was and how well it reacts. It feels light on the troops now that I've gotten used to 6 Troop choices that are all bigger units or tougher than what I had here but it did work out for this game. I'm also realizing how much softer Genestealers are without FnP :)
Oh, and Raveners are frickin ridiculous! The speed and hitting power are insane. Especially if you can catch a unit out of terrain. But they do have the resilience to take the hit and then pound back which was nice to remember since I haven't played with them in months.
The lictors, while slowly munching his suits, didn't really do much else. I wasn't very impressed with them. This would continue to be a theme for the tournament but I did have to try them out.
So not a bad start. Who thinks they know how this tournament turns out?
Dashofpepper 57p · 721 weeks ago
Pride · 721 weeks ago
I think the Lictors are a little out of place. I reconsidered it, and without running them 3x2 or 3x3 with some sort of reserves bonus (swarmlord or hive commander) I really don't think they will prove useful. Maybe try running ymgarl stealers instead?
Also; the fact that your list includes 39 genestealers is both impressive and awe-inspiring. Well done.
Just food for thought; but do you think the current horde setup is the best way to go with genestealers? I personally play a lot with genestealer heavy lists, and I personally find the best setup is a 5-man unit with one upgraded to a broodlord (broodlord with scything talons). The advantage of this setup is it actually offers a surprising amount of psychic defence. If two broodlords can get off the 'aura of despair' power, psykers start testing at Ld8/7. Really good against the new GK's.
Just a suggestion, but how about switching out the parasite and stealers for 6x5 Genestealers with broodlords, (the lords have scytals). Gives you more troops, and potentially better psy defence. Also gets rid of a potential KP liability...
Norade · 721 weeks ago
newtoncain · 721 weeks ago
Hulksmash · 721 weeks ago
That's cause your cheating since you were there :)
@Norade
To be fair I'm pretty sure he just hadn't played in forever with his Tau. DE are his primary army from what I gather. He just didn't seem interested in double checking and I didn't wanna be a douche by forcing it since I was trying to play as fast as possible.
@Pride
I've found small squads are not something to rely on when it comes down to it so I wouldn't be inclined to swap for 5-6 man squads. Especially with GK's out there. You need the numbers since we don't have grenades. Even if they can't get powers off they'll still hit me harder before I can hit them. So I need the bodies :)
Regarding the Lictors I'm inclined to agree. My new list doesn't feature them. It actually moves a few things around. This is one of the few times I wished there was a way to make Gargs or Raveners troops :(
Pride · 721 weeks ago
And that lictors swapped their silly 'popout and boo' deployment rule for the Ymgarl genestealer's 'dormant' deployment...
And that individual spore mines didn't give away pain tokens...
And that Dash wasn't so mean to tyranids :'( ...
Oh wait, I forgot I was playing an underdog army. :)
I'll be less sad if you post more batreps!
newtoncain · 721 weeks ago
Dashofpepper · 721 weeks ago
N.I.B. · 721 weeks ago
Heffling · 721 weeks ago
inquisitor_dunn 51p · 721 weeks ago
newtoncain · 721 weeks ago
Gritts · 721 weeks ago
what do you think about small genesteeler units with broodlords. the smallest you can take is 4steelers and a broodlord which cries to die to a torrent of fire but I am curious as to your thoughts. Units that small are incredibly easy to infiltrate and can get stuck in combat with larger units (foot slogging orcs) Anyhow curious as to your thoughts