2011 Invitational, Game #3

Following two major victories with max battle points, I head to the top table to face Trevor's Space Wolves who took down mech Dark Eldar in round #2.  Trevor also took first at the 'Ardboyz semi-finals here in Western New York with his wolves and won the free army.  This was going to be a challenge!

Trevor's list (approx):
Rune priest w/chooser, JoTWW, lightning
Rune priest w/chooser, JoTWW, murderous hurricane
Lone wolf w/ terminator armor, storm shield, chain fist, 1 pet wolf
Lone wolf w/ terminator armor, storm shield, chain fist, 1 pet wolf
Wolf guard x4 w/ power fist x4, combi-melta x2, combi-flamer x2
Grey hunters x8 w/ standard, mark, melta, rhino
Grey hunters x8 w/ standard, mark, melta, rhino
Grey hunters x8 w/ standard, mark, flamer, rhino
Grey hunters x8 w/ standard, mark, flamer, rhino
Thunderwolf x1 w/ shield, fist
Long fangs x6 w/ 3 missiles, 2 lascannons
Long fangs x6 w/ 3 missiles, 2 lascannons

My list:
Hive Tyrant + armored shell, old adversary, hive commander, devourers x2, paroxysm, leech essence
Tyrant Guard x3 + lash whips
Tyranid Prime + boneswords, toxin sacs, regeneration
Hive Guard x2
Hive Guard x2
Hive Guard x2
Genestealers x20 + broodlord w/talons
Genestealers x8 + toxin sacs
Genestealers x8 + adrenal glands
Gaunts x16 + devourers
Tervigon + catalyst, adrenal glands, toxin sacs

The mission was: kill points - primary, objectives (5 set one in the center, 1 in each quarter 12" from each edge) - secondary, table quarters - tertiary.  This was potentially a very bad match for me with his lone wolves skewing the fight for kp's.  The good news is this match is very similar to my GAME VS GOATBOY in both scenario and lists.  I think I can pull this off, but it will take some serious thinking.  I won the roll and chose to go first to get off FnP and force Trevor into a reactionary position. 

Trevor places one chooser in each empty table quarter to try and prevent infiltrators.  I deploy an "onion" formation of layered cover saves on the front, using a central forest to cover my gaunts, deathstar, and hive guard.  I put the tervigon way back in a ruin trying to prevent a kamikaze JoTWW out of a rhino.  I will infiltrate the unit of 20 genestealers and outflank the units of 8.

Trevor throws a wrench in my plan by reserving both priests in their rhinos and the thunderwolf.  He deploys 2 grey hunter units in their rides, long fangs in front of them, and lone wolves in front of the long fangs.  This choice could be really good for me if his reserve rolls are bad, or really bad for me if I make any movement mistakes and create any weaknesses in my formation as he can come on anywhere on his long edge.

I infiltrate the big unit of genestealers forming an arrowhead in front of my formation into the forest.  Trevor's choosers are far enough apart to allow a narrow line of genestealers up the middle, lead by the broodlord.  He tries to seize the initiative and fails.  I move the tervigon up to give the genestealers FnP.  The whole blob advances.  I'm careful to only cross into thunderwolf threat range with the genestealers and tyrant who will also try to block JoTWW 's.  I won't have range this turn with anything since Trevor didn't deploy up very far, so everything also runs.

Trevor brings up the lone wolves and moves each rhino up to screen the long fangs from the flank.  He goes for easy kill points and puts 3 wounds into a hive guard unit, almost wiping them out.

My furious charge genestealer arrive in Trevor's deployment zone at the top of turn 2.  I give the big unit of stealers FnP again and they move up and run into position.  The blob formation advances around the forest using it for cover but not entering so they don't get tripped up.  The broodlord's unit multi-assaults both lone wolves, but I don't get many in because of poor terrain and fleet rolls.  The outflanking genestealers multi-assault one lone wolf, long fangs, and a rhino.  Combat is unimpressive as I kill both wolf pets and a couple long fangs, take a couple casualties back, and pile into a combat that will get very ugly.

Trevor rolls for reserves... and gets nothing!  Very lucky for me.  He unloads both rhinos and piles in to the assault with both units who pop their wolf standards.  An extremely large combat ensues and I roll a very generous amount of rends, wiping out many grey hunters and long fangs, but not finishing any units.  Trevor kills several genestealers, but combat will soon turn to my advantage as his banners are spent and he will have less attacks next round.

My last unit of genestealers arrives and sneaks behind a rhino to get at his second long fang unit.  I advance a little more , but stay central to jump into any quarter as needed.  The tervigon is filling up the backfield with gaunts who are running to grab objectives.  Hive guard immobilize a rhino.  I claim the first kill point by slaying the last long fang in the main assault.  Trevor is running out of grey hunters and the lone wolves can't kill genestealers fast enough.  The toxic unit assaults the unengaged long fangs but fail to kill them all.

Trevor rolls for reserves again... and only gets one rhino unit with a priest.  He risks driving through a forest to get perfect placement out of SiTW, but in range of the tervigon which I moved up too far.  He sends out the jaws and hits my tervigon at 23.5".  Against all odds, I roll a 2 and my tervigon lives!  In assault, I finish off all grey hunters and long fangs giving me a healthy lead in kill points.

The tervigon continues to spawn gaunts who take objectives and table quarters.  My devil gaunts and tyrant dakka down 7 members of the priests unit, but they don't run.  My hive guard can't get past Trevor's cover saves on the rhino in the forest.  In assault, the broodlord's unit finishes off both lone wolves.

Trevor finally gets his thunderwolf and last rhino unit with priest.  The rhino dives up to my consolidated genestealers and double flamers shoot out, killing the adrenal genestealers.  The thunderwolf goes after the toxic stealers, takes a wound, and kills a couple.  The first priest jumps back in the rhino with survivors and they zoom towards my table quarter and pop smoke. 

My shooters begin chasing his rhinos.  All my hive guard wiff, but my tyrant is able to stun the rhino on the left flank.  My genestealers finish off the thunderwolf and consolidate towards rhinos.

Trevor's one mobile rhino on the right flank zooms up and smokes.

My deathstar assaults the rhino on the left and wrecks it.  Hive guard on the right immobilize the last rhino. 

We call the game there.  Trevor is down 8-3 kill points and I have nearly every objective and table quarter locked down.  I earned 21/21 battle points and 63/63 for the event.  I ended up with Best General as Chris P's nids earned 57/63 battle points and much more in the painting and comp departments.

I was very happy with the way the list played out and with myself making very few mistakes this time out.  Trevor's combination of reserves and bad dice helped me win this game for sure.  It easily could have been his game if everything came on turn 2 and I had to deal with 20 more space wolves.  Instead, I had nearly wiped out half of his army before the reinforcements arrived and he didn't have enough punch left to turn the tide.  The event as a whole was great.  It was also my highest placing ever with nids and gave me renewed hope in them.  I'm actually pretty excited to strip them and re-paint them after my dark eldar army is done, hopefully in time for 6th edition!