Tyranids, Flyers, and Tactical Objectives.

The Tyranid advance, some of those are a defense line.

Well, three more games in since last I posted. First, a battle with Stormcaller's Tyranids. Then a duel with the Marines Errant using the new Tactical Objectives. I played a multi-player game also, but it went until 5am and I actually don't remember who won. The fog of war hung heavy over that battle. Though, I can say the Psychic phase is odd when playing with 4 players.

It had been some time since I'd played against the bugs. I also had never played against a flying monstrous creature. In this game Stormy brought 4. Two Tyrants and two Harpies. Considering I have no skyfire weapons in my list, this doesn't bode well for Antaries. I have to hand it to Stormcaller, this list was very tough. The four flying baddies pressed the attack while his ground forces moved forward relatively unharmed. The creature who creates free gaunts outflanked while the one that burrows up did so. Basically my guns were rendered useless by flyers I could barely hit, a creature who burrows up from anywhere it likes, and a couple outflanking units.

Trouble.

I was forced to try tactics I barely used before, like firing the Wave Serpent shield at the flyers. This actually worked a bit taking 2 wounds off a Harpy turn 1. The bugs' Tyrants had twinlinked guns that fired a high volume of a strength high enough to glance Serpents to death. One lost 2 hull points turn 1.

The creature who arrived via tunnel killed 5 Dire Avengers turn 2. Anyone who questions giving Dire Avengers the +5 invulnerable save need only look at my last two reports to see it's value. The avengers are the backbone of my Eldar armies, that means they see every kind of nasty the enemy has.

Turn 3 saw the Dire Avengers lay waste to most of the outflanking gaunts as well as ones being pumped out. And the Avatar meet a group in the middle of the battle field. But, the Nids third turn included a Tyrant destroying a Wave Serpent and eliminating the Striking Scorpions. Eldar were dying faster then important bugs. This is a pretty bad omen for an Eldar player.

The Avatar stalls on these gaunts.

Turn 4 Eldar shooting managed to kill both Tyrants but this ends up being too little to late. In this game, much like my first in 7th edition, flyers killed way more Eldar then anything else. The game went 6 turns with the Tyranids taking it in convincing fashion. Congrats to Stormcaller, I was defeated soundly. The list was tough and the tactics sound. We have played many times over the years and I had gotten the better of him lately. I'm sure he enjoyed the win.

What did I learn?

I'm actually 4 games in to 7th Edition, flyers are a problem for me. My list building needs to include more air support. I have a Nightwing and a Crimson Hunter sits in it's box. While hobbywise, I'm loving Night Lords (Ave Dominus Nox!), very soon I will have to slot time to building that kit. My Night Lords will get a Heldrake also.

I had a thought, am I an old crusty player? Unwilling to change? Has the game moved to where I have to embrace flyers in 40k games?

I think so.

Would a Hunter and Nightwing have helped against this?

My list I joked, is force org legal in 3rd edition. Every list I have played is force org legal in 3rd edition let alone 7th. The Tyranids had 4 HQ in that game, using the 7th edition detachment rules. I think I have to look at my lists embracing this new system of picking your force. Now, I love playing with troops, and I don't see that changing in my Eldar, most of my units are Dire Avengers and Guardians. I am going to experiment with the detachment system and see what I come up with though.

Tactical Objectives

I had a chance to play with the T.O. cards, my friend and his Marines Errant came to play this weekend. I must say I found it a lot of fun. Both of us drew cards that did not apply to our game or were simply impossible to achieve, but we found no fault in that. The cards produced a dynamic and ever shifting game that we both enjoyed. Now GW, how about you print more so I can buy a set. It's too much paper work to play with using the book. Cards... print more..

You must hold objectives to gain cards, but the cards determine which objectives score points each turn. You also can discard one each turn. Use this to get rid of ones you can't complete. Our game went 12-9 Antaries. After all the years I've played I really appreciate a new way to spice up a game.