Space Wolves VS Tyranids 2000 Points

So this past Saturday was the last day of gaming for the Battle For Salvation club before we move to a bigger location nearby to house the club as we continue to grow and expand. Almost five years ago Fritz walked in with Eldar and now he was walking out with Tyranids…

Continuing with some NOVA practice I went up against Space Wolves with kill points as the primary and objectives as the secondary- this is like the fourth game in a row that I have played kill points with which is good I guess since that is the hardest variant to win with an army that “wins” be bleeding off kill points aka spawning gaunts to die. I REALLY need to practice table quarters. Ed rocked me last week with his dread list, so some adjustments need to be made on my part.

The ‘Wolf list was interesting to say the least- two full long fang squads with a mix of las and missiles, three pods of Grey Hunters with Arjac, and two big thunderwolf units with wolf lords in each. My list was five tervigons, three trygons, hive guard, and venoms. The usual ho-hum big bug list.

So many space buggies I can't even get them all in one shot...

‘Wolves took first turn, I tried to seize and failed, and they slammed down with the pods first turn…

My plan was really pretty simple and the Wolves, being an aggressive army, made it easy for me- castle up, let them crash into me, and then swarm them with hundreds of poisoned and furious charge gaunts .

I figured the ‘Wolf plan was for the pods to slam turn one and soften things up, followed by the Grey Hunters and t-wolves charging turn two, backed by six/seven turn of long fang fire. What I didn’t plan for was Arjac, since hey he is overpriced and nobody plays him right? I know what he does, but have NEVER faced him in a game or tournament...

First two pods land and the grey hunters rapid fire backed by long fangs shredding some gaunts for easy kill points. On my turn I spawn like thirty of so out of the lead three and swamp the two units with them and the trygons.

First group goes down pretty quick, Arjac’s group takes some wounds but turn out is really hard to kill since they pop off a wolf banner allowing them to re-roll misses and failed armor saves on a “1”. Space Wolf players, tell me why you aren’t playing this build? Against normal attacks the A man has a 2+ with a re-roll and a 3+ invul with a re-roll on a “1”. Makes Arjac essentially immortal for two turns, maybe even better then a GK paladin? Of course what hurts even more is A’s ability to re-roll hits vs. MC’s nailing a trygon in the process.

Arjac....just....won't....die....

Next turn I pile in even more gaunts and Arjac makes his invul saves, all of them vs. my trygons who then die. When the t-wolves hit all hell breaks out on the right side as now I’m dealing with Arjac and them hitting just gaunts who don’t have the furious charge in place. Of course always wounding on the 4+ is nice, but I tarpit the unit with guants, which is just bleeding me kill points.

On the left side more Grey Hunters come down in a pod and I drown them in gaunts eventually killing them, as I set my trygon up for a charge- I know I’m out of range for the charge, so I pull him back to be charged and within the 6” bubble of the venoms- and the t-wolves charge- rolling four ones for dangerous terrain tests! Venoms FTW! Throw on more gaunts and lash wip venoms to stall Wolf IC’s and I’m actually killing stuff, but the Space Wolves are ahead in kill points thanks to my expenditure of gaunt fodder.

As we move into the end of the game I finally drag Arjac down- after he has single handedly earned six (!) kill points, and take out the last of the t-wolves. The ‘Wolves are up in kill points with only the two long fang squads left, but not ahead by three for the win as per the NOVA rules, so it is going to secondary objectives- of which my gaunts start to push and scatter to claim them- the center one, and one on my side. Long fangs shoot some more, and the game comes down to a lone hive guard- kill him and the wolves pull ahead in kill points for the win, fail, and it goes to objectives which I have. Fortunately I make my cover saves and the hive guard stand, so the Tyranids take the field. A win, but it doens't get any closer then that, and it was a win by the dice- the game ending, if it want on the 'fangs would have psuhed me off the objectives with fire, and then we go to victory points which the wolves clearly had.

Hardest game I’ve played in a long time, fitting end to the club for the day…

Observations?

When my tervigons get down to one wound, somebody smack me to remind me NEVER to cast FNP! I hit a perils of the warp killing the tervigon and giving the ‘Wolves a kill point. I know this, have to remember it and play it safe- stuff like that can and does cost games.

Arjac, slayer of kings, was a beast- I swarmed him and his Grey Hunters with fifty plus gaunts and two trygons and even that could barely stop him. Combined with the banner it really is a neat little trick. Frtiz was impressed with the list fu.

Tyranids.

The problem I saw once again in the game is the fact that while Tyranids aren’t BAD, they aren’t GOOD either. What do I mean by that? What they do is pretty constant and not over powered at all, compared to ‘Wolves that get counter attack, good base attacks, upgrades like Arjac, banners, T-wolves- so much to overpower you- If I was playing a static list I would have been stomped turn one.

More and more I’m becoming convinced that a spawn list is the only way to go with Tyranids, and even that is dicey since you can spawn all game or constipate out right away- all depends on the rolls. If I had a list with a set number of models then this would be a static list and once the units are dead they are done, with a spawn list I keep churning stuff out, again and again. Of course you pretty much auto-lose kill point missions, but even when I was running static lists they still had a ton of kill points.

Venoms continue to rock- from the cover saves, to the spore cloud bubble forcing dangerous terrain tests. EVERY game these guys have dominated, especially since they are “passive”, meaning they don’t shoot, assault, etc. They aren’t an obvious target priority so they don’t get shot at by my opponent.

As for the fun factor in my list- it is actually fun to play as you spawn hundreds of gaunts and guys start crying that it is broken and cheesy which always makes me happy- as long as it "works" and doesn’t constipate out. I tried getting away with just three tervigons, won’t work, need the max of five to pull it off. Period.

LOLZ Space Wolf and Blood Angel players crying that 'nids are overpowered since they can spawn gaunts, always makes my day...