Batrep: 1850 Eldar vs Tyranids

So I have gone 1-0 to Marshall so far and this was to be our grudge battle. 1850 and we are both allowed to modify our lists. We played over at Titan Games, a place where you can rent the tables for reasonable rates. The terrain is top notch. 

After the last game I added my Crimson Hunter (which I painted awhile back) to see if it was any good to counter his flyers (he brought 5 in the previous game). Here is my slightly modified take all comers list:

Eldar (Ray)

[Warlord] Farseer: Mantle of the Laughing God, Runes of Witnessing, Witchblade, Jetbike, Singing Spear
Farseer: Runes of Witnessing, Singing Spear, Jetbike
Guardians x10: Wave Serpent - Holofields, Twin Linked Scatter Lasers, Shuriken Cannon
Guardians x10: Wave Serpent - Holofields, Twin Linked Scatter Lasers, Shuriken Cannon
Dire Avengers x10: Wave Serpent - Holofields, Twin Linked Scatter Lasers, Shuriken Cannon
Windrider Jetbike x3
Windrider Jetbike x3
Warp Spiders x8
Warp Spiders x9

Crimson Hunter
War Walker x3: Bright Lance, Bright Lance

Psychic Powers:
Warlord - Guide, Fortune and Prescience
Farseer - Guide, Prescience and Eldritch Storm

Warlord Traits: got the split fire ability - useless since I was running the Mantle of the Laughing God

Tyranids (Marshall)
[Warlord] Hive Tyrant + Twin Linked Brainleech Devourer Worms + wings
Hive Tyrant + Twin Linked Brainleech Devourer Worms + wings
Zoanthrope
Zoanthrope
Zoanthrope
Termagants with Fleshborers x17
Termagants with Fleshborers x17
Termagants with Fleshborers x18
Termagants with Fleshborers x18
Hive Crone
Hive Crone
Hive Crone
Biovore x3
Biovore x3
Trygon Prime with Miasma Cannon

Psychic Powers:
Warlord - Dominion, Onslaught
Hive Tyrant - Dominion, Horror
Zoanthrope - Dominion, Wrap blast
Zoanthrope- Dominion, Wrap blast
Zoanthrope - Catalyst, Wrap blast

Warlord Trait: Marshall forgot to roll for it after I reminded him to do it. He only realised this at the end of the game but we didn't think it would have changed the game either way.

Pre-game Setup

Powers for the other Farseer

Altansar gathers for war

TEN HUT! Warp Spiders make war - so nice to see them complete and on the table

These beautiful War Walkers belong to the store and was on loan to me - Brightlances are in play

Marshall's swarm. 3 Crones, 2 of which were invisible Flappy Birds

What I imagine when I see Crones

Mission: Big Guns Never Tire - Heavies can capture objectives as well; Heavies also give 1VP when more of them are killed

Deployment: Vanguard Strike

Deployment

Eldar take the left field where I could use the Aegis line. I chose this side to deny the Nids cover . The table was quite balanced to be fair

I held my Warp Spiders in reserve primarily until I could get rid of his Biovores 

Nids deployed hard centre with Synapse hidden in the ruins. These were together with his Biovores. Nids were going to make me go to them

This just looks scary. There is a Zoanthrope staring at you but you can't see it. Imagine two beady eyes staring at you

What I see hidden in that space

Marshall tried to seize first turn but failed. 

Eldar Turn 1

Casted Prescience and Fortune on my units. I advanced cautiously as Marshall held his Crones and Flyrants in Reserves. 

Nids all scuttling quickly so the camera had difficulty adjusting! I kid. Killed off one Zoanthrope and earned First Blood

 Tyranids Turn 1

Nids advanced urgently while still staying in Synapse range of the Zoanthropes

 Eldar Turn 2

Dropped my Spiders in. Tried to get them closer to the ghostly building but scattered backwards into my lines

Tried again with the other unit of Spiders but they scattered backwards as well! That building must really be creepy!

Both scattered backwards leaving me far away from the intended dropzone. 

My Crimson Hunter arrived as well - WOOOOOOSH

 Don't pretend, I am sure you do it too. 

Advanced my army just tad bit more. I was not really sure where his flying units would arrive from and how many would come in so I played it coy

Moved up the Warp Spiders to zap the Gants....

....and Marshall saves these many on 6's. 

My expression

Battlefocus the other unit of Spiders up to zap the units hiding in the ruins and managed to kill off 2 Biovores

I was bracing for impact. I expected Marshall to bring the pain in Turn 2.

Tyranids Turn 2

Marshall rolled for Reserves but only his Hive Tyrants turned up! The Crones were all delayed! It looked like the Tyranid Alpha Strike was blunted.

Marshall had little choice but to move his Gants up to threaten my Spiders

A Tyrgon Prime burrowed to the back of my field. 

Truly epic scene as it bursts forth from the ground into my lines

In one shooting phase, Marshall managed to kill off 1 Jetbiker (who just arrived) and caused me to take a Leadership test.

At -3LD, I failed and promptly fled the table together with the my Farseer who was with that unit of Jetbikers.

.......priceless

Eldar Turn 3

Risked the Warp Jump and made it into the building with no casualties. I managed to kill off the Zoanthrope

Moved my army out of the way of the Trygon Prime and targeted all my heavy guns on it

After a round of concentrated firing, I managed to kill off the Trygon Prime and the Flying Tyrant

Tyranids Turn 3

The Crones arrived but one decided to stay in the Warp.

The Flyrant took out my Crimson Hunter in 1 salvo. The other Crones managed to lob a few shots at the Wave Serpents but I jinxed them all

Eldar Turn 4

I realigned my army to counter the new threat: the 2 Crones who are able to Vector Strike me. Keeping 24" away meant that they could not get my Serpents so easily. I also disembarked my Guardians on the objective as it was Turn 4

I threw everything I had at the invisible Crone and it survives on ONE WOUND! 

Many times I cursed like Simon Cowell

While I sent my jetbikes forward to capture his objective. They were supported by my Spiders

Tyranids Turn 4

I forgot about the ability to bring units in through that hole that the Trygon created. So, out poured his Gants

 The Crone with a single wound flew off the table while the other zoomed in on the objective

He supported them with his Crone

He managed to kill off a majority of the Guardians and they promptly fled the table. Ouch

Eldar Turn 5

I moved the other Serpent with the Guardians up the left field to try to take the other objective

Dire Avengers disembarked to support my final push into the middle

Combined fire of all the Serpents and Warp Spiders managed to kill off the Crone. Phew! 

Dire Avengers added fire into the unit of Gants, reducing them to 5 which promptly fled

Tyranids Turn 5

And in a show of luckmanship, Marshall rolled 2 in his turn. 

The newly arrived Crone made a mad dash into my field. 

While the other wounded Crone returned to support the Flyrant. The Nids opened up on this unit and reduced them to only 3 Guardians but they passed their morale test

Eldar and Tyranids Turn 6:
I managed to kill off his Tyrant and Crone. Thankfully though his unit of Gants passed their Synapse test and stayed on the Objective. I also did not manage to kill off that unit, leaving them to capture the objective! I fell short on my run and the game was over.

Game ended with the final positioning above

Nids grabbed this at the last minute. 

But I managed to secure this one

Total points: 

Eldar: First Blood, Slay the Warlord, Objective, Heavy Killed = 1+1+3+1 = 6

Tyranids: Objective, Linebreaker = 1+3 = 4

Eldar Victory!

It was a solid game. While interestingly enough, Marshall felt that he was on the backfoot most of the game, I was scratching my head on how to defeat those Crones. I could not ground them yet again, forcing me to pump a vast amount of resources into killing one. Keeping my Serpents away from them is one solution but I need a better one and fast. Great game nonetheless.