Tyranids vs. Necrons, 1500 points, Gamma Take and Hold

[Badmovies.org]

TYRANIDS VS. NECRONS, 1500 POINTS, GAMMA LEVEL TAKE AND HOLD


THE TYRANIDS OF HIVE FLEET KOHR-AH

Vermithrax (flying hive tyrant)
Scything talons, lash whip and bonesword, adrenal glands (WS), implant attack, toxic miasma, toxin sacs, winged, synapse creature, the horror, and warp field.

Grendel (hive tyrant)
Venom cannon, twin-linked devourer, enhanced senses, toxic miasma, toxin sacs, synapse creature, and the horror.
Two Tyrant Guard with lash whips and rending claws.

Quickdeath 1 (leaping tyranid warriors)
Three warriors with scything talons, rending claws, extended carapace, flesh hooks, leaping, and synapse creature.

Quickdeath 2 (leaping tyranid warriors)
Three warriors with scything talons, rending claws, extended carapace, flesh hooks, leaping, and synapse creature.

Quickdeath 3 (leaping tyranid warriors)
Three warriors with scything talons, rending claws, extended carapace, flesh hooks, leaping, and synapse creature.

Hormagaunt 1
Nine hormagaunts with scything talons

Hormagaunt 2
Nine hormagaunts with scything talons

Ymir (carnifex)
Venom cannon, barbed strangler, enhanced senses, and reinforced chitin.

Gamera (carnifex)
Barbed strangler, twin-linked devourer, adrenal glands (WS), enhanced senses, extended carapace, mace tail, reinforced chitin, spine banks, and toxic miasma.

Garthim (carnifex)
Venom cannon, crushing claws, adrenal glands (WS), bioplasma, enhanced senses, extended carapace, flesh hooks, mace tail, reinforced chitin, toxic miasma.

THE NECRONS

Necron Lord
Warscythe, destroyer body, resurrection orb, phase shifter.

Immortal 1
Five immortals with gauss blasters.

Immortal 2
Five immortals with gauss blasters.

Necron 1
Ten necron warriors with gauss flayers.

Necron 2
Ten necron warriors with gauss flayers.

Destroyer 1
Three destroyers with gauss cannons.

Destroyer 2
Three destroyers with gauss cannons.

Tomb Spyder 1

Tomb Spyder 2

Monolith



Frigia was a frozen planet with deep oceans that stretched for miles under the ice. A Tyranid fleet had recently infested the planet and large structures began to grow through the ice, seeking to assimulate the thick biomass that was hidden below. With a crack, one section of the ice pack splintered. A monolith, streaming saltwater that froze in long steams along its sides, rose from the depths.

DEPLOYMENT
Another battle at Todd's, which means his ice world terrain. I won the roll for board side. Todd went for a symetrical deployment based around the monolith. I set up to take advantage of cover and blocking line of sight with my monstrous creatures. He won the roll for first turn. Todd getting first turn is not unusual. In fact, I have come to the conclusion that some sort of hideous "Screw With Andrew's Rolling Field" (SWARF) surrounds Todd. There was one run, lasting several months, that saw me win zero rolls for first turn. In addition to that, his SWARF screws with my normal rolling to the point that I often curse at him about it.

Click here for the map after deployment.

Click here for the Symbol Legend.

Click here for a picture of the board after deployment.

**Destroy target A2** was the phasecomm instruction for the first unit of immortals. Marching forward, in a loose formation, but in step, they raised their gauss blasters and discharged the weapons. Coruscating green threads of energy tore into the tyrant guards as they moved to shield the hive tyrant. One of the bulky creatures was flayed apart, literally torn to pieces by the energies. The other lived through the hellish fire, but lost large sections of flesh and carapace. The second unit of immortals, obeying the same instruction set, also fired. Afterwards, the hive tyrant, standing amidst the shredded remains of its guards, screamed in fury at the ancient harvesters.

NECRONS TURN 1
Most everything moves forward. Destroyer 1 managed to get line of sight on Quickdeath 1 and killed two of them. Destroyer 2 unloaded on Grendel, but failed to do anything. Immortal 1 caused five wounds to Grendel and I failed three saves. Immortal 2 continued to punish my walking tyrant and caused another two wounds, of which I failed a save. Both of Grendel's guards are dead. The monolith tried to hit Gamera with its particle whip, but missed and did nothing.

The carnifex was little more than an outlet for the nearby hive tyrant, so much had the king Tyranid asserted control over its lesser kin. Picking out the advancing destroyers as the greatest threat, it willed the carnifex to discharge its weapons. Acid, crystals, and barbed strangler seeds were fired by muscle spasms that accelerated them to hypersonic speeds. The destroyers' reacted instantly to the threat, sharply changing direction and altitude for a moment. The Tyranid projectiles ripped through empty space.

TYRANIDS TURN 1
I had a @&%$# of a turn. Move forward. Hormagaunt 1 tried to get in position to charge Destroyer 1, but rolled a one inch fleet roll. Garthim fires on Destroyer 1 and misses both shots. Ymir fires at Destroyer 2, missed all three shots. Gamera manages to cause five wounds to Immortal 2, four from the barbed strangler. One immortal goes down, but the unit does pass its pinning test. Grendel fires on Immortal 1, getting one wound total. I rolled a staggering number of ones both to hit and to wound. Todd makes the single save and the Immortal remains standing.

Total effect of my shooting: one downed immortal (that is eligible to repair).

Click here for the map after Turn 1.

Click here for a picture of the board after Turn 1.


The machine intelligence controlling the monolith fired its particle whip at two of the monstrous Tyranids. The energy stream impacted on the heavy carapace of a carnifex, detonating in a huge sphere of writhing energy and green fire that enveloped the nearby hive tyrant. Emerging from the blast, the carnifex had lost an appreciable amount of protective shell above one shoulder. Both it and the hive tyrant lost hundreds of kilograms of flesh and blood, the mass ripped off of their bodies by the Necron weapon.

NECRONS TURN 2
That one downed immortal? It stands up. Destroyer 1 kills six hormagaunts in Hormagaunt 1. They are in synapse. Necron 1 is out of range. Both immortal units fire on Grendel to no effect. The particle whip hits dead on, wounding both Gamera and Grendel. Necron 2 fires at Grendel, to no effect. Destroyer 2 manages to get a bead on a single member of Quickdeath 2 (they are hiding behind Grendel) and kills one.

Rushing forward as it fired, the hive tyrant again screamed its defiance at the emotionless metal constructs. It cut down two of the Necrons with great sweeps of its venom cannon, the weapon cutting and crushing its way through the living metal bodies. A mass of hormagaunts swarmed around the tyrant's legs, leaping through the air to slash at necron warriors. The melee quickly turned into a bloodbath as Necrons shrugged off powerful strikes by the hormagaunts, then chopped the leaping gaunts to the ground with their axe-like weapons.

TYRANIDS TURN 2
Garthim fires at Destroyer 1, misses both shots. Grendel fires at Necron 2; I again do poorly with both my to hit and to wound rolls. Not one necron warrior dies. Gamera unloads on Immortal 2, hits with the barbed strangler and three devourers. I knock down one immortal and the unit is not pinned. Ymir fires at Destroyer 2, misses all three shots. (At this point, at about midnight, I filled Todd's house with a loud and bitter oath that reflected my frustration at my shooting rolls.) On to the assault, Vermithrax charges Immortal 1, kills three, and causes the other two to break and run. Vermithrax consolidates into Necron 1. Grendel and Hormagaunt 2 charges Necron 2. Grendel knocks down two, while the Necrons kill three hormagaunts.

Click here for the map after Turn 2.

Click here for a picture of the board after Turn 2.


With a sudden whitish/green flash the besieged necrons disappeared from the mass of Tyranids. They reappeared moments later, marching from the front portal of the nearby monolith and already laying down a sheet of gauss fire at the hormagaunts that were just attacking them in melee. Flux arc fire from the monolith joined the barrage, exploding both frozen earth and alien tissue. When the last bits of mud fell to the ground a refroze, the hormagaunts' broken forms were scattered around the twitching ruin of what had once been a hive tyrant.

NECRONS TURN 3
Immortal 1 runs off the board. Destroyer 1 wipes out Hormagaunt 1. After cycling through the monolith, both damaged members of Necron 2 are repaired. Necron 2 blows Hormagaunt 2 to pieces with a rapid fire volley. The monolith's flux arc kills Grendel when I fail three out of five required saves! Immortal 2 and Destroyer 2 fire on Gamera, but cannot hurt the carnifex. Vermithrax kills three members of Necron 1. The necron warriors stand fast against the onslaught and pile in.

Slashing apart the necrons that were attempting to crowd close, the winged tyrant slaved a carnifex via synapse. Knowing that the destroyers were a serious danger, it dumped an adrenalin-analog into the carnifex's bloodstream. The monster was suddenly a blur, launching a near solid rain of devourer slugs at the hovering Necrons. Despite quick avoidance manuevers, two of the glittering metallic bodies were holed through and crashed onto the ice.

TYRANIDS TURN 3
Garthim fires on Destroyer 1, actually causing a wound, but the destroyer makes the saving throw. Ymir hits Immortal 2 with both his barbed strangler and venom cannon. One immortal is dropped and pending repair. The immortals pass their morale and pinning checks. Gamera knocks down two of Destroyer 2 with his shooting. The survivor passes his morale check. Quickdeath 2 charges Necron 2 and knocks down 2, taking a single wound in return. Both sides pile in. Vermithrax kills a single warrior in Necron 1, but the necrons hold their ground.

Todd's phalanx has been pretty well broken apart. I need to start knocking down Necrons, because the Necron Lord is out of his sweet spot to help them with his resurrection orb.

Click here for the map after Turn 3.

Click here for a picture of the board after Turn 3.


**Breakage occuring**Stop the breakage** ran through the tomb spyder's core process. It rushed toward the raging hive tyrant, opening and closing one powerful claw as it closed in from behind. Unfortunately, the tyrant was a creature bred from millions of battles of tooth and claw. It twisted as the tomb spyder came into range, striking downward with one giant scything talon and impaling the Necron construct through the center of its back. Then the other talon and bonesword impacted, cutting the tomb spyder into pieces.

NECRONS TURN 4
The damaged member of Immortal 2 stands back up. Destroyer 1 kills the last member of Quickdeath 1 with shooting. Necron 2 cycles through the monolith, resulting in one of them getting back up. Necron 2 then rapid fires Quickdeath 2, leaving a single wounded tyranid warrior. Destroyer 2 tries to finish off Quickdeath 2 to no avail. Immortal 2 devotes their shooting to Gamera; they find it impossible to get past the toughness and heavy armor. Tomb Spyder 2 charges Quickdeath 2 and neither side can wound the other. Tomb Spyder 1 charges Vermithrax to try and bail out Necron 1. Vermithrax strikes down the mechanical creature before it can swing and takes no wounds from the warriors.

Delivering point-blank blasts from its powerful bio-cannon, the huge carnifex charged the even more massive Necron monolith. The fearsome kinetic bioweapon splashed harmlessly off of the living metal skin. Then, the carnifex stretched its crushing claws to strike at the eldritch machine. Despite the monolith's size and slow movement, the Tyranid assault organism was unable to hit the metal behemoth. A powerful field surrounded the floating Necron fortress and it turned aside the carnifex's powerful attacks mere inches from connecting. The carnifex howled like a beast tormented by demons and lumbered after the monolith.

TYRANIDS TURN 4
Garthim hits the monolith once with his venom cannon, but cannot hurt the darn thing. He then charges it and misses with everything (seven attacks and bioplasma). Ymir wounds the last member of Destroyer 2, though Todd makes the save. Gamera hits Immortal 2 and knocks down 2 with his barbed strangler; they pass the pinning and morale tests. Vermithrax kills one necron warrior, then runs down the rest of Necron 1 as they try to flee. Tomb Spyder 2 and Quickdeath 2 continue to swat at each other.

Click here for the map after Turn 4.

Click here for a picture of the board after Turn 4.


With a sudden rush the tomb spyder pinned the Quickdeath to the ground. Its claw, made of the same sideral metal as all Necron technology, crushed and cut into the Tyranid's ribcage. Bits of reinforced chitin splintered and the leaping warrior struck out as only a creature doomed to die can. One talon lodged in the spyder's underbelly, but it was not a mortal blow to the ancient artifact. The claw continued applying pressure until it sliced completely through the Quickdeath's main body. The tomb spyder transmitted **Opponent terminated**Function impaired** via the phasecomm.

NECRONS TURN 5
Both damaged members of Immortal 2 stand back up (argh). Destroyer 1 fires on Ymir, but cannot wound the carnifex. Necron 2 kills two members of Quickdeath 3 with shooting. Destroyer 2 finishes off the last member of Quickdeath 3. Immortal 2 shoots at Gamera to no effect. The particle whip fails to hurt Ymir and the flux arcs are not effective against the big Tyranids in range. Tomb Spyder 2 takes a wound from Quickdeath 2, but finally kills off the Tyranid in return. The Necron Lord charges Gamera, wounds the carnifex twice, but takes two wounds in return. The Lord flees, barely staying on the board.

The winged hive tyrant was upon the immortals in a flash and destroyed two with powerful sweeps of its murderous scything limbs before the Necron elites were even aware that they were being attacked. The third brought its weapon around to fire, but the king Tyranid smashed it to the ground with the back of one talon and then chopped the Necron apart with its crackling bone sword. In a show of fearlessness that would have astounded a space marine, the last remaining immortal began to advance on the hive tyrant.

TYRANIDS TURN 5
Ymir fires on Destroyer 1, gets one hit, then rolls a one to wound. Garthim misses the monolith with both shots, charges it again, and misses all five swings (and the bioplasma too) again. Gamera fires on Necron 2, knocks down 3, does not pin or break them, then charges and kills two more. The necron warriors pass their morale check and pile in. Vermithrax charges Immortal 2, knocks down three, and the single survivor passes his morale check.

Click here for the map after Turn 5.

No picture of the board available for Turn 5.


**Tactical situation untenable**Return to tomb for repair** was broadcast via the phasecomm. The Lord slowed his retreat from the pursuing carnifex and took one last look across the battlefield. Multiple Necrons were completely destroyed, having become little more than tangles of jagged metal. Four massive Tyranids still ranged across the battlefield. Then, a brief flash, and the Lord was beneath the planet's surface, in a chamber of the tomb complex. Enormous tunnels through the basalt rock linked the staging area to other parts of the Necrons' domain. Seriously damaged Necrons, some nearly unrecognizable, littered the floor. A swarm of tomb spiders descended from the ceiling, scooping up the remains and beginning the business of repair.

NECRONS TURN 6
The fleeing Necron Lord rallies, but he is out of range to help the damaged necrons with his resurrection orb. Ten Necrons are left on the board, which is 25% for purposes of phase out. They disappear.


REMAINING FORCES - TYRANIDS
Vermithrax (unwounded), Garthim (unwounded), Ymir (four out of five wounds remaining), Gamera (two out of five wounds remaining).

REMAINING FORCES - NECRONS
Phase out. Otherwise, the Necron Lord was alive (one wound remaining), Immortal 2 (one out of five remaining), Destroyer 1 (full strength), Destroyer 2 (one out of three remaining), Tomb Spyder 2 (one wound remaining), and Necron 2 (four out of ten still standing).

VICTORY POINTS: Necron Phase Out. Tyranid Victory.

TYRANID DEBRIEF
It was only after we finished the game that Todd realized he should have phased out at the beginning of Turn 6. He has not played his Necrons in over a year and that was the last time I faced them. Thus, we were both a little out of practice with some of the finer points. As it happens, the game would have been a draw if we had gone six full turns. Todd would have had about seventy more points in the end.

I was able to break up Todd's formation due to him trying to hide his lord from Vermithrax. He probably would have been better served with two lords (both with resurrection orbs) and only one tomb spyder. That way a lord could have been placed on either side of the phalanx. Todd also pointed out that he probably should have concentrated all the destroyers on one side, in this case on the west side of the battlefield.

Well, my shooting was pretty awful again. This is strange, because I tend to rely on volume. Still, when my rolls for shooting are poor, I can really tell how much my army depends on ranged weapons. The list can still pull out a win, because of the melee ability. The thing is, I play with the "combined arms" concept. If one part of my strategy is not working, it affects the whole.

The Necrons certainly have a problem dealing with monstrous creatures; specifically those with a 2+ save. Unless they are taking heavy destroyers, the Necrons have to rely on volume of fire. Not a terrible strategy, but it suffers against my army. I try to roll in like a wave, hitting all at once. Todd could not pull all of his units out of melee with the monolith once multiple engagements began.

Again, like my last game (1750 points vs. Death Guard), Vermithrax was amazing. This game he killed one unit of necron warriors, one unit of immortals, a tomb spyder, and savaged another unit of immortals. All that and, at the end of the game, he was still unwounded.

[kore]

Awesome batrep. You really told a good story.

Notes:
1. Assuming I counted correctly, at 37 "Necrons", Todd's Phase Out is 9. 10/37 = 27%(no PO). The rounding for this rule always works in the favor of the Necron army.
2. Necron Turn 5 had the Monolith firing both the Particle Whip and Gauss Flux Arcs. The PW is ordnance and thus prohibits any other weapons from firing.
3. Necron Turn 6 suggests that the assessment of RO coverage was done after the Lord rallied. RO coverage is always assessed per each model upon its death. Thus, if a Warrior goes down and, later that round of combat, the Lord with the RO goes down, it still benefits from RO(per the FAQ).

Anyhow, excellent job.

[Badmovies.org]

I'll have to ask Todd to check his Necron rulebook and info about the first two points.

However, I know that we checked the rulebook twice (and the FAQ) in reference to his phase out. I must have miscounted the number of Necron warriors left (meaning there were three, vice four) if you are correct.

If you are correct about the third point, it still does not assist the Necrons that went down. They went down during my part of the turn, after the Lord had fled and was out of range.

Still, thank you, and I will ask Todd if he can help me figure out those two points. I think the worst case is that he got a free blast from the Flux Arcs. I think that we double-checked that too at the time.

[kore]

However, I know that we checked the rulebook twice (and the FAQ) in reference to his phase out. I must have miscounted the number of Necron warriors left (meaning there were three, vice four) if you are correct.

Page 13 Codex: Necrons under "Phase Out".

If you are correct about the third point, it still does not assist the Necrons that went down. They went down during my part of the turn, after the Lord had fled and was out of range.

Understood, I was just hung up on the wording, as if it might have made a difference.

Still, thank you, and I will ask Todd if he can help me figure out those two points. I think the worst case is that he got a free blast from the Flux Arcs. I think that we double-checked that too at the time.

This is a standard rule. Look at the table in the Quick Reference Sheet of the BGB. Since the PW is an ordnance weapon per the Necron Summary sheet, Todd was limited to firing either/or.

Hope this helps.

[Ceased2B]

Kore -

Todd here. You are absolutely correct about the Power Matrix and the Flux Arcs. This was one of the first times I had ever used an Ordnance weilding tank and just plain old goofed on the universal rule. Sorry Badmovies! Mea culpa. Must reduce Bourbon consumption while playing....

Regarding the PO numbers, we played this game almost 8 months ago, so I am at a loss to remember exactly how many Necs were on the field at that moment. My Necs hadn't seen a tabletop in about a year and a half (and this was my first time using a Monolith/phalanx army comp). I ended up catching the PO after the fact at the end of the game. So, to Badmovies defence, we were both trying to remember back to which point on which turn we actually reached 25%. Either way it was dead close - I remember checking the numbers and ended up Phasing Out by one or two percent tops. So you might be right about the PO Kore, about as much as either of us!

Was a fun game though. Reinvigorated my interest in playing with my little souless metal monkeys!

And as always Badmovies - great batrep!!

[kore]

Kore -

Todd here.

Welcome to LO.

Must reduce Bourbon consumption while playing....

Just not too much, sounds like a great way to spend time with friends. A little Bourbon didn't hurt anyone.

[Badmovies.org]

Kore -

Todd here. You are absolutely correct about the Power Matrix and the Flux Arcs. This was one of the first times I had ever used an Ordnance weilding tank and just plain old goofed on the universal rule. Sorry Badmovies! Mea culpa. Must reduce Bourbon consumption while playing....

Regarding the PO numbers, we played this game almost 8 months ago, so I am at a loss to remember exactly how many Necs were on the field at that moment. My Necs hadn't seen a tabletop in about a year and a half (and this was my first time using a Monolith/phalanx army comp). I ended up catching the PO after the fact at the end of the game. So, to Badmovies defence, we were both trying to remember back to which point on which turn we actually reached 25%. Either way it was dead close - I remember checking the numbers and ended up Phasing Out by one or two percent tops. So you might be right about the PO Kore, about as much as either of us!

Was a fun game though. Reinvigorated my interest in playing with my little souless metal monkeys!

And as always Badmovies - great batrep!!

Usually Todd encourages me to drink Jack Daniels during the games. It also never helps that you and I usually get to play late at night, after the kids are in bed. I know that we verified the phase out via the voice recorder and the rulebook when you discovered it. I must have miscounted the number of necrons on the board. I did have to modify the descriptive part of the last necron squad when I polished the batrep (aftering leaving it sit for months). That is why my guess is that Gamera killed one more than was reflected. I am going to modify the batrep to reflect that. My guess is he probably did it with shooting.

Are you telling me that I lost an entire brood of hormagaunts and Grendel to a flux arc you never should have been able to fire? You have got it coming to you, my friend. We might have to schedule a rematch the weekend of Jenna's birthday party. Gary and Tara are only coming down for Sunday - which means Saturday you can bring an army and we'll see how rusty you have gotten.

[kore]

I think he only did it in Necron Turn 5, there were no other departures from that particular rule that I read and in that turn, both weapons proved ineffective.

A quick synopsis:
- If the PW fires, the teleport ability and GFAs cannot be used.
- If the PW doesn't fire, both the teleport and GFAs may be used.

[Ceased2B]

You are blowing things out of proportion there Badmovies.
As Kore noted (thanks for getting my back!) it was only that Turn 5 where I got froggy with the use of the GFA and PW (to paltry effect anyhow).
But I am sure I am not going to hear the end of it regardless...if nothing else than to keep the trash talk up!

[Badmovies.org]

You are blowing things out of proportion there Badmovies.
As Kore noted (thanks for getting my back!)

Well, that was sort of the point.

You go ahead and gloat for now, Todd. I'll see you in two weeks.