Khorne Daemonkin vs Tyranids, 07.07.2015

This time, I thought I'd try out something new. With some recent acquisitions, as well as getting some old projects up to speed, I have successfully put 1000 points of Khorne Daemonkin on the table. My opponent was also playing something totally unfamiliar, so it was anyone's guess about how this match would go down.

Mission: Crusade (5 objectives)

Map: Dawn of War

Lists: 1000 points

Khorne Daemonkin: Blood Host Detachment

1. Slaughtercult 
• Chaos Lord with Kor'lath, Axe of Ruin (Warlord trait: Destined for Glory)
• 8 Bloodletters with Bloodreaper
• 9 Bloodletters with Bloodreaper
• 5 Possessed
• 2x Chaos Spawn
2. Auxiliary: Warmachine
• Soul Grinder with Phlegm Bombardment
3. Command
• Wrath of Khorne Bloodthirster

The Chaos Lord  was simply destined to become a temporary Bloodthirster, although I was hoping to make him a Daemon Prince in the process. To this end, I was also hoping for the Warlord trait where he passes his Leadership check automatically - and I got it on the first roll!

Tyranids:

1. Combined Arms Detachment
• Tervigon
• Genestealers with Brood Lord
• 15 Termagaunts, 5 Devourers, 10 Fleshborers
• 2 Venomthropes
2. Living Artillery Node
   
   • 1 Exocrine
   • 3 Biovores
   • 1 Tyranid Warrior Brood

So we've got shooty Tyranids against melee Daemons.

Deployment

 

From the bottom: Exocrine (proxied by Wraithlord), Biovores (proxied by painted Warriors), Warriors, Venomthropes (proxied by Neurothropes), Tervigon (proxied by Carnifex), Termagaunts, and Genestealers in the forest (Broodlord proxied by a Warrior).

2 squads of Bloodletters, 1 Spawn and the Grinder on the left flank.

1 Spawn, Possessed (proxied by regular Chaos Space Marines) with Lord (the metallic figure) and Bloodthirster (my old model from ebay, without wings as of yet).

Tyranids, turn 1.

Tervigon spawns, rolls 6 6 5. Unfortunate double on the first turn. 2 Gaunts were also lost, having no place to put them in range.

Very effective shooting from the Biovores and Exocrine annihilated an entire squad of Bloodletters, as well as the champion from the other group - strategically placed in front.

 The Gaunts and Genestealers advanced towards my lines.

Khorne Daemonkin, turn 1.

At the beginning of my turn, I had 4 Blood Tithe points. I could have handed out some Rage or Feel no Pain, but I made the strategic decision to not use anything instead. I knew that the following turn would yield more Tithe, so I was preparing to ascend my Chaos Lord. Alas, I was only partially right. I got off some turn 1 charges (so far unheard of - all of my opponents were toting gunlines and Deep Strikes), but I didn't get any Blood Tithe points in my own turn.

With 12-inch terrain-ignoring Beast-movement, helped by Fleet when charging, the left Spawn reached the freshly spawned Gaunts, and proceeded to bog them down.

On the other flank, I got both my Spawn and my Bloodthirster into combat with the Genestealers.

The Bloodthirster delivered a devastating charge, slaughtering all of the Genestealers and wounding the Broodlord. Iniative step pile-ins failed to get anybody else in combat (wut?), so at the end of combat, I got my Spawn dueling the Broodlord and the Bloodthirster out of combat. There's a first time for everything!

Some inconsequential shooting also happened. Due to 2+ cover (ruins and Shrouding from the Venomthrope), my Phlegm Bombardment killed... 2 Gaunts.

Tyranids, turn 2.

Another round of good shooting annihilated the Possessed squad. Thankfully, the Lord remained alive.

(the Marine figure proxies a spore mine)
Combat was uneventful.
The Broodlord failed a number of attacks, while the Spawn got lucky.

 The other Spawn dutifully killed 1 Gaunt (1 attack even with Grasping Pseudopods).

Khorne Daemonkin, turn 2.

With the Blood Tithe provided by the destroyed Possessed squad, it was time to ascend the Chaos Lord! A Bloodthirster was also summoned due to the axe.

 Of course, they're both useless for two turns, having arrived using Deep Strike.

I moved the remaining Bloodletters into cover, hoping to survive longer:

Finally, I had the most successful shooting phase in the game, instakilling a Venomthrope and a Warrior using Phlegm Bombardment.

Tyranids, turn 3.

Witnessing the firepower of this fully armed and operational Soul Grinder, the Gaunts were sent in to bog it down in close combat.

Tarpitting at its finest.
The Bloodletters and the Bloodthirster were targeted with shooting. 4+ cover for the win.

Khorne Daemonkin, turn 3.

Time to move up the baddies. They both went to gliding mode.

The Bloodthirster jumped out from cover and charged the Tervigon...

... whiffing most of his attacks and delivering 1 wound. Yay.

The Gaunts finished one Spawn, and the Broodlord finished the other.

Tyranids, turn 4.

Time to shoot the Gliding monsters!

Fortunately, nothing consequential.

The Gaunts moved in to save the Tervigon, but I focused all my attacks on it, and managed to deliver a Decapitating Strike using my Axe of Khorne, causing Instant Death.

For added hilarity, the other Gaunts went out of synapse range (even with Dominion) while piling in. Loosing 2, they failed their Morale check and fell back to the center of the table.

Khorne Daemonkin, turn 4.

I couldn't have the Broodlord sitting there, holding the objective. So my temporary Bloodthirster jumped there and murdered it. It then died at the end of the turn.

 The Daemon Prince assaulted the Warriors, but left one alive, not eliminating synapse.

Tyranids, turn 5.

The Gaunts regrouped and grabbed the middle objective.
The Bloodthirster finished its combat. The Exocrine charged the Daemon Prince intent on tarpitting.

Khorne Daemonkin, turn 5.

The final step of the grand plan swung in action. I summoned Flesh Hounds to hold the far objective. The surviving lone Bloodletter ran out from the ruins towards the objective in the crater. The Grinder holds the one in the ruins on the top right.
The Bloodthirster charged the Exocrine and murdered it.

At this point, my opponent conceded. The remaining Tyranids on the board were the Gaunts, 1 Venomthrope and 2 Biovores. I was holding 3 objectives, and had Linebreaker and Slay the Warlord. The Tyranids held 1 and had First Blood, bringing the score to 11-4.