Guard Tournament Results (part 2)

Rob speaking,

So moving up the tables after a good win game 1, I had hoped I would be avoiding a really nasty list, but my luck was not in!

Game 2: Gary Percival, Tyranids, Relic and Emperors Will combined, with Pitched Battle deployment:

GARY PERCIVAL
Hive Tyrant (170) wings (60) Twin Devourers (15) Twin Devourers (15) Old advisory (25)
paroxysm, leech essence (0) = 285
Hive Tyrant (170) wings (60) Twin Devourers (15) Twin Devourers (15) Old advisory (25)paroxysm, leech essence (0) = 285
Doom (90) Mycetic Spore (40) = 130
2 Hive Guard = 100
2 Hive Guard = 100
10x Termagants with flesh borers = 50
10x Termagants with flesh borers = 50
Tervigon (160) Catalyst (15) Toxin sacs (10) adrenal glands (10) cluster spines (0)= 195
Tervigon (160) Catalyst (15) Toxin sacs (10) adrenal glands (10) cluster spines (0)= 195
Harpy (160) Cluster Spines (0) = 160
Harpy (160) Cluster Spines (0) = 160
20 x Gargoyles (120) Adrenal Glands (20) = 140

A much more fine tuned list than Dave's, with 2 Tervigons spawning gaunts and the Harpies for extra flying MCs, this list will give me much more trouble, but I have a chance as the mission favours me.

Deployment: (Night fight not in effect turn 1)
For some reason I won deployment zones and began to deploy, then Gary deployed as well before we’d rolled for who had first turn.... Gary then won the roll off and elected to go first. I deployed centrally not knowing where Gary would go, I kept the Platoon command on my objective with the Blob surrounding it, the Grey Hunters deployed in the left flank to go for the Relic or cut back to support my objective if needed, both the Warlord command and Veteran squad went in the 2 Vendettas.

Gary deployed in a big block with the Tyrants and Harpies out front, 1 Tervigon behind with Gant support, 1 Tervigon goes on the left flank on Gary’s home objective, with the Gargoyles on the right flank.

Turn 1
Gary moves up with all 4 flying critters and push them all into my face, 1 Tervigon poops out 15 and rolls a double, the other poops out 7 or 8 and doesn’t. These then all move up towards the Relic... the Gargoyles then move up to support the flying critters, Gary then throws all his fire power (both Tyrants and Harpies) fire into the Grey Hunters, both squads are reduced to a handful, of which 1 fails moral and runs off the table! Giving away first blood. My turn 1 the blob moves up, the remnants of the Grey Hunters move up as does the Platoon command who are cowering out of sight behind a ruin. The blob then clear’s a large unit of Termagants, the Hyperios and Grey Hunters combine fire into a Hive Tyrant killing it.

Turn 2
Gary drops 1 Harpy and the Hive Tyrant in preparation to charge, the Gargoyles move up to support, then the Tervigon poops out another 15 or so Termagants on his home objective but rolls a double. Both Tervigons then move up towards the Relic, as a squad of 5 Termagants grab it. The Hive Tyrant declares a charge and takes to all the Overwatch hits, the Gargoyles and Harpy move into combat as well, the blob takes a lot of casualties, but kills a few Gargoyles and passes moral. My turn 2 and 2 Vendettas come on, both of the left flank but the game is basically up, I throw everything into the Harpy out of combat killing it, then throw whatever is left into the Termagants holding the relic, I need to stop that moving backwards! Into combat and the blob takes another battering, but thins the Gargoyles to a handful, a Rune Priest then Force Weapons off the Harpy.

Turn 3
The Doom stays in reserve again, the Tervigon moves and grabs the Relic, the Hive Guard start to fire into the Vendettas, thankfully, they all miss. Straight into combat and the blob stem the losses somewhat, killing more of the Gargoyles, they are reduced to 7-8, but the Hive Tyrant takes all the hits on the chin as I fail to wound with a single hit! My turn 3, the Grey Hunters move up to tackle the Hive Guard, the 3^rd Vendetta comes on and the others position themselves to take out the Tervigon, the Vendettas then all light up the Tervigon and reduce it to a couple of wounds, the Grey Hunters fire into the Hive guard and do nothing! Back into combat and the blob is down to just 4 Sergeants and 3 bods with attached friends, the Gargoyles are wiped out, but they all remain locked in combat with the Hive Tyrant.

Turn 4
The Doom comes down in my deployment zone and takes out all the Hyperios Missiles and most of the Blob command holding my objective... some spawned Termagants make a move towards the combat involving the blob and Tyrant, the Tervigon retreats with the Relic back away from the Vendettas. More spawned Gants move up and take out the remnants of the Grey Hunters, the Hive Guard then shoot down the Warlords Vendetta, killing all the contents. The Termagants charge the blob and a combination of them and the Hive Tyrant finish all but finish them off, just a Rune Priest left who does nothing to the Hive Tyrant. My turn 4, things are looking bleak now, as the Doom takes out the rest of the blob Command who fail to get out of the 6” range. The Vendettas drop out of zoom mode and take out the Tervigon holding the Relic, combat is quick as the Rune Priest is crushed by the Hive Tyrant.

Turn 5
Everything tries to get shots off on the Vendettas which are my only things left... but somehow they both survive, 1 is limping badly with 1 HP left, but its still going! The other survives a Vector Strike and a Hive Tyrant's shooting 1 2HP left, a Termagant pick up the Relic once again. My turn 5 and I see a ray of light, I zoom over the Tyranid horde and grav chute the Veteran squad in and they land bang on target, contesting the Nid objective, then I make a MASSIVE mistake (I think), I fly over with the Vendetta still in skimmer mode, then open up with everything into Termagants holding the Relic, I should of declared focus fire (but I’m not sure vehicles can??) the Gant holding the relic is 3 Gants in, I get 3 wounds after some shockingly poor rolling, now if I had declared focus fire the 3^rd wound would of killed the Relic holder... but instead some Gants are touching cover so get a 3+ cover save and 2 die... close but no cigar.

So at this point Gary has won primary by 3 (as a Gunt is holding the Relic) and winning secondary by 2 (as I have line breaker), so will be a narrow ish defeat if the game ends now!

But no! My luck doesn't continue and the game goes to turn 6, The Termagants and Tervigon protecting Gary's home objective finish off the Veteran squad that contested the objective turn 5, the Vendetta survives the few shots that are thrown at it, my turrn 6 and the Vendetta drops into hover mode to stay on the table.

As we only have 30 seconds left we don't roll for a turn 7 and the game ends, with Gary holding his own objective and the Relic inflicting a heavy defeat on me, which was either 14-6 or 16-4 (memory fail).

Overall:
Well, things went downhill pretty early with my Grey Hunters running off the table, but I deployed poorly with them stranded in the open, behind the Aegis they could of GtG for a 2+ cover save, drastically reducing the casualties, I then would of had a chance of first blood and then 15+ Grey Hunters to help the blob in combat, if the Gargoyles are taken out before they do lots of damage to the blob the game changes I also kept the Rune Priests back, they should of been much closer to the front. But a steep learning curve and an enjoyable game scrapping for every tournament point I could get!

Back down the tables I go!  Game 3 up next!