Batrep: Necrons vs Tyranids, Shield of Baal Exterminatus Week 3

Week 3 is in full swing and the Tyranids are behind by quite a bit. Played Jason on Monday and I lost so I needed to make up some points. Henry challenged me last week and I accepted. 1850 it was Necrons vs my Leviathan. 

Necrons

Core: Reclamation Legion

Overlord: Phase Shifter, Phylactery, The Nightmare Shroud, Warscythe

Catacomb Command Barge: Quantum Shielding, Tesla Cannon

Immortals x5 Gauss Blaster

Tomb Blades x3: Shield Vanes, TL Gauss Blaster

Warriors x10: Gauss Flayer

Ghost Arc: Quantum Shielding, 2 Gauss Flayer Array

Warriors x10: Gauss Flayer

Ghost Arc: Quantum Shielding, 2 Gauss Flayer Array

Auxilliary: Canoptek Harvest

Canoptek Scarabs x3

Canoptek Spyder: TL Particle Beamer

Canoptek Wraiths x3: Whip Coils

Auxilliary: Canoptek Harvest

Canoptek Scarabs x3

Canoptek Spyder: TL Particle Beamer

Canoptek Wraiths x3: Whip Coils

Destroyer Cult

Destroyer Lord: Phase Shifter, The Solar Staff

Destroyers x3: Gauss Cannon

Destroyers x3: Gauss Cannon

Destroyers x3: Gauss Cannon 

Tyranids

CAD

Hive Tyrants: Wings, TL Devourers with Brainleech Worms

Hive Tyrants: Wings, TL Devourers with Brainleech Worms

Hive Guard x3: Impaler Cannon

Malanthrope

Malanthrope

Hormagaunts x20: Scything Talons

Termagants x22: Fleshborers

Termagants x23: Fleshborers

Carnifex: TL Devourers with Brainleech Worms

Toxicrene

Tyrannocyte

Living Artillery Node

Biovore x3: Spore Mine Launcher

Exocrine

Tyranid Warrior x3: Devourers x2, Barbed Strangler

The mission is still the same as before. 

Deployment

Meanwhile on the other table Fauzi was playing with Stephen

Head on collision imminent

Did not manage to steal the initiative so Necrons went first

Turn 1

Necrons advanced to get within the 24"

Managed to pip off a few creatures here and there but nothing major

Then he pulled his forces back for the jump

I opened the first turn by sending my Flyrants into the ruins on the right (where the dice are). The rest of the army advances

Opening salvo managed to do a few wounds here and there but nothing major

At the end of Turn 1 we both did no major damage on either side. I was planning to take down the Wraiths like the previous game with Jason but did not manage much. With the Tomb Spyder near, they were rolling 3++ followed by a 4++. Impossible to kill.

Turn 2

The Necrons moved up the right flank with the Wraiths

Shooting took out the Malanthrope in this quarter for First Blood

And the Wraiths charged in pulling my swarm up

While on the right flank the same thing happened

I was happy to be locked in combat with them. This allowed me to choke his lines while the rest got up the mid table.

Toxicrene arrived in Turn 2.

On hindsight I am not sure that playing the Tyrannocyte makes sense in this scenario. The Necrons were trying to get off table so it would have made more sense to draw him in then followed by a counter charge. Also I think placing him close to fast units like the Destroyers would only allow them to run away.

Shot out the pesky Spyder. I should have removed that Spyder first in Turn 1

Note to self: Tomb Spyders are linchpin units for the Necrons. They offer Reanimation Protocols for the Wraiths and Swarms. Taking them out would mean an easier time for your CC and shooting.  

Sent my 2 Flyrants forward and managed to kill off another 2 Destroyers. That's 24 TL Str6 shots mind you.

CC saw me losing more models

Turn 3

True to the name of the blog, Henry rolled another 1 for his Dangerous Terrain test and the Catacomb Command Barge suffers 1 Hull Point. Thankfully it being a Chariot allowed it to continue moving along.

My army now took the backseat

While the Necrons were pushing forward. Destroyers moving further away from the Toxicrene

Henry moved his other unit of Destroyers up middle table

I pulled and consolidated most of my units. Flyrants flew off to bring them back on next turn

Charged the Toxicrene in to take out the Tomb Blades

Now needed to wait for the Flyrants to come back

Thinning purple line

Turn 4

Necrons knew they had the upper hand so kepy pushing. My units were breaking now that I was losing synapse

The Toxicrene managed to destroy the Ghost Arc from a random poison wind scatter attack

Flyrants return to the fray 

Toxicrene charges and killed off a few Warriors

Most of my Gants were now killed leaving me with no tarpits

Turn 5

Swinging into my lines the Wraiths started going fighting the Warriors. The Necron Lord swings into my Exocrine

And in a show of goodluck, the Necron Warriors killed off the Toxicrene. Needing 6s to wound it, Henry rolled and killed it

At this point I was flabbergasted. Not only did Necrons outshoot, they would also play the close combat game. What was going on? My most powerful close combat monster was taken out by his Warriors. Warriors who also excelled at shooting.

Game end

As the hour grew late, we decided to end the game at the end of Turn 5. Now we had to tally the Kill Points. What was it going to be?

Necrons

Core: Reclamation Legion

Overlord: Phase Shifter, Phylactery, The Nightmare Shroud, Warscythe

Catacomb Command Barge: Quantum Shielding, Tesla Cannon

Immortals x5 Gauss Blaster

Tomb Blades x3: Shield Vanes, TL Gauss Blaster [Killed=1KP]

Warriors x10: Gauss Flayer

Ghost Arc: Quantum Shielding, 2 Gauss Flayer Array [Killed=1KP]

Warriors x10: Gauss Flayer

Ghost Arc: Quantum Shielding, 2 Gauss Flayer Array

Auxilliary: Canoptek Harvest

Canoptek Scarabs x3 [Killed=1KP]

Canoptek Spyder: TL Particle Beamer [Killed=1KP]

Canoptek Wraiths x3: Whip Coils [Killed=1KP]

Auxilliary: Canoptek Harvest

Canoptek Scarabs x3

Canoptek Spyder: TL Particle Beamer

Canoptek Wraiths x3: Whip Coils

Destroyer Cult

Destroyer Lord: Phase Shifter, The Solar Staff

Destroyers x3: Gauss Cannon [Killed=1KP]

Destroyers x3: Gauss Cannon 

Destroyers x3: Gauss Cannon 

Total KP = 6 

Tyranids

CAD

Hive Tyrants: Wings, TL Devourers with Brainleech Worms

Hive Tyrants: Wings, TL Devourers with Brainleech Worms

Hive Guard x3: Impaler Cannon 

Malanthrope

Malanthrope [Killed=1KP]

Hormagaunts x20: Scything Talons [Killed=1KP]

Termagants x22: Fleshborers [Killed=1KP]

Termagants x23: Fleshborers [Killed=1KP]

Carnifex: TL Devourers with Brainleech Worms [Killed=1KP]

Toxicrene [Killed=1KP]

Tyrannocyte

Living Artillery Node

Biovore x3: Spore Mine Launcher

Exocrine [Killed=1KP]

Tyranid Warrior x3: Devourers x2, Barbed Strangler

Total KP = 7 + 1 First Blood = 8

Necrons win by 2! 

Post game thoughts:

Certainly a close game. I think Necrons are shaping up to be one hard to kill army. With the number of double stacked saves, they were like Marines on steroids. They shot well and could even fight at BS4 WS4. Henry played well and controlled him army enmasse. I need to play against them more to learn their abilities. For now, I am content that I almost got away with a draw (that First Blood). 

It's also quite ironic that Necrons are the ones saving the Imperials this Week 3 of the campaign as the Necron players are the ones playing!