Beat out the Old and Bring in the New!
When I got in my game with Jake, Adam and Lance I noticed that there was a New Year's Eve party going on at the Game Matrix. I thought it sounded like a great way to spend the last night of the year.

When I arrived, there was a role playing game and several board games going on, plus some Warmachine and some Flames of War, but no 40k. I figured I'd get something to eat (they were deep-frying turkeys in the back and it was a potluck event) and I set out some of my Tyranids to sort of advertise. (That way other players would see that I was there to play 40k.) I got a lot of comments on my unusual looking conversions and my paintjob, which made me feel really good. After a little while, Eric came in and checked them out and talked to me. After a little bit, he said he would run home to grab his Imperial Guard and we could get in a game. I agreed and he headed right out. Once he got back, we grabbed a table and he pulled together an army list while I set up the terrain.

We pulled out our armies and I suggested we do a little bit of an introduction to each other's armies, as it's sometimes hard to tell what the other player has. I made sure to point out several times that my army was significantly different than the standard Tyranid army. As he was going over his units with me, I couldn't help but notice the lack of plasma weaponry. I suggested a couple of times that he redo the list a little bit to include some. At first he didn't want to, but when he realized he hadn't given any of his Storm Troopers either Infiltrate or Deepstrike, I suggested he redo the list a bit again and he took me up on it. He pointed out that I had a pretty hardcore list, and he was definitely right, which is why I encouraged him to adjust his list a bit.

Game: Tyranids vs. Imperial Guard. We rolled randomly for a mission and ended up with Seek and Destroy. Since Eric had paid for Deepstriking his Storm Troopers, I suggested we go with Gamma difficulty.

My List

156 Hive Tyrant BS4 S6 Sv2+ 2xTL-Devourer, Psychic Scream
184 Hive Tyrant BS4 S6 Sv2+ Venom Cannon/TL-Devourer, Psychic Scream

113 Carnifex BS3 2x TL-Devourer
113 Carnifex BS3 2x TL-Devourer

128 8x Genestealer
128 8x Genestealer
96 6x Genestealer
96 6x Genestealer
96 6x Genestealer

40 Ravener RC/ST

148 Carnifex BS3 venom Cannon/Barbed Strangler
148 Carnifex BS3 venom Cannon/Barbed Strangler
185 3x Zoanthrope 1x Synapse/Scream, 2x Blast/Scream

1483pts.

As usual, I went with my typical wedge formation, keeping everything tightly in together and the squishy things behind the Monstrous Creatures. Eric, not knowing what to expect, went with a traditional Guard formation, the Line. The fact that I had more selections from the Force Organization chart meant that most of his army was down before it was clear that I was forming a wedge. When he commented on it, I said he could still pull an empty center like from the battle of the Bulge. (This can be a very effective Guard technique, as the enemy closes on the center, the flanks pour on the fire while the center moves back or to the sides, delaying contact with the enemy.) Fortunately, being primarily a shooting army, my Godzilla list is less disadvantaged by such tactics.

Turn 1

Tyranids: I spent a great deal of firepower on the first turn making sure that the Demolisher died. The rest of my firepower managed to kill a few Guardsmen from the lead squad in the center. (Beyond 18" range, my firepower is reduced to 3 Venom Cannons and 2 Barbed Stranglers, which isn't much for taking out Guardsmen in cover.) Aside from this, my forces basically moved up in close formation, only slightly hindered by the heavy urban terrain that I had put down.

Imperial Guard: A squad of grenadiers move up and Wound the Twin Devourer Tyrant. A Flashlight from the squad adds another Wound. An Autocannon puts a Wound on the other Tyrant.

Turn 2

Tyranids: Gunfex 2 puts a Wound on the Command Squad (The Radioman, of course!) Devourerfex 1 and Gunfex 1 kill off 3 from a squad on the flank, who then fall back. The Grenadier squad dies to the Twin Devourer Tyrant. The lead Guard squad in the center dies to the main Tyrant. The Ravener wriggles through a window in the center building, eyes gleaming at the sight of the center squads ahead.

Imperial Guard: Storm Trooper squad 1 lands almost on top of Gunfex 1, losing a man because they deepstruck too close. They cause 2 Wounds to Gunfex 1. You can see the brave Storm Troopers below, cursing the pilot that got them too close, but bringing their firepower to bear as swiftly as possible.

Turn 3

Tyranids: Devourerfex 1 fires again into the flank squad that had rallied, killing 4 and sending the remnants running off the board this time. The 2nd line squad in the center of the Guard formation is shredded and runs away under the withering fire of the Twin Devourer Tyrant and the oppressive Psychic Screams of the Tyrants and Zoanthropes. The Heavy bolter squad loses a few and runs away screaming from the Devourer grubs of Devourerfex 2.

Imperial Guard: A squad on the Guard right flank moves up and kills 3 Genestealers from Brood 5. Even as the lasfire rips through the Genestealers, the Chimera rams through the side wall of the center building, trapping the Ravener in it's headlights before unleashing it's Heavy Flamer, Heavy Bolter and Heavy Stubber, shredding the Ravener and killing another Genestealer as the flaming promethium flowed out a side window.

Turn 4

Tyranids: Most of my Tyranids turned to fire at the Chimera, but couldn't do much more than shake or stun it. Finally, the remaining 2 Genestealers from Brood 5 rip through the wall to kill the Chimera in revenge.

Imperial Guard: What is left of the Imperial Guard forces pours their fire into Gunfex 2 and kills it. The Commissar, in a desperate stand, charges the remaining Genestealer and cuts it down with his power weapon.

Last Look

After the Commissar cut down the Genestealer, he looked up and saw the rest of the Tyranids closing in. As he resigned himself to his fate, I took a picture of the view over his shoulder.

Results
At the end of our time, the score was approximately 1300VP Tyranids to 400VP Imperial Guard. I had a great time playing with Eric, and he seemed to have a pretty good time, too, which is the best way to end one year and begin the next.

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