Warhammer 40,000 Battle Report – Thousand Sons vs Tyranids

The Thousand Sons are back, and this time they have a Codex full of new goodies to help them make war in the name of Change! Today, they assault an outpost in the midst of Tyranid consumption. None can know what they plan to accomplish, for the Weaver of Fates leads his sorcerers to his own nefarious ends. Whatever the case may be, the Tyranids stand ready to defend their prize. Who will emerge from this mortal struggle?

The Armies

Ahriman’s Own

Thousand Sons – 2,000

Battalion Detachment

HQ

Winged Demon Prince of Tzeentch: WARLORD (Otherworldly Prescience), Dark Matter Crystal, Hellforged Axe, Malefic Talons; Gaze of Fate, Flickering Flames

Exalted Sorcerer: Gift of Chaos, Prescience

Sorcerer in Terminator Armor: Warptime, Infernal Gaze

TROOPS

10 Rubricae: Glamor of Tzeentch

10 Rubricae: Weaver of Fates

10 Tzaangors

10 Tzaangors

10 Tzaangors

10 Tzaangors

10 Tzaangors

ELITES

6 Scarab Occult Terminators: Soulreaper Cannon; Temporal Manipulation

FAST ATTACK

3 Chaos Spawn

3 Chaos Spawn

HEAVY SUPPORT

Forgefiend: 2 Hades Autocannons, Demon Jaws

Forgefiend: 2 Hades Autocannons, Demon Jaws

Hive Fleet Sothoth

Tyranids – 2,000

Hive Fleet Kraken

Outrider Detachment

HQ

Winged Hive Tyrant: WARLORD (Instinctive Killer); Adaptive Camouflage, 4 Deathspitters with Slimer Maggots, Adrenal Glands, Catalyst, Onslaught

10 Gargoyles

10 Gargoyles

10 Gargoyles

Battalion Detachment

HQ

Neurothrope: The Horror, Psychic Scream

Broodlord: The Horror

TROOPS

10 Genestealers

10 Genestealers

20 Hormagaunts: Adrenal Glands

20 Hormagaunts: Adrenal Glands

19 Hormagaunts: Adrenal Glands

ELITES

4 Zoanthropes: Paroxysm

4 Zoanthropes: Psychic Scream

HEAVY SUPPORT

Trygon Prime

Trygon

After Action Review

What a bloodbath. In that initial turn, I couldn’t have asked for anything to go more perfectly. The Tyranids have really been showcasing their speed for me under the rules for Hive Fleet Kraken, and this game was probably the most they have done so thus far. I made nearly every single charge I set out to make, and was able to tie up the majority of his shooting before it ever got a chance to do its job.

I was honestly afraid we wouldn’t even pull enough out of this game to be worth filming. That initial hit just did so much damage, it didn’t seem like there was anything the Thousand Sons could do to recover. While the score shows that they never fully came back from that onslaught, Josh took it on the chin and came out swinging, determined that his veterans would do some damage before they went.

The Dark Crystal has been an excellent go-to for Josh in his test games, and it didn’t disappoint here either. This freed a large chunk of his shooting to do what they needed to do, and allowed him to do a lot more damage than I expected. Veterans of the Long War has also proven to be one of his go-to favorites, as he showcased again and again. I kept pummeling his weak flank once the game was underway, but those Rubrics fought off charge after charge, wading through alien ichor and Tzaangor blood to fight their way free. Once they did I paid again, losing an entire squad of Gargoyle harassers in a flood of inferno bolts. If every one of Josh’s marines had sold their lives so dearly, this game would have turned out differently indeed!

The alternate deployment methods have given the Thousand Sons a very neat face lift, and given them some speed they desperately needed. It has also freed up some points in the form of Rhinos they can more easily leave at home, allowing for even more chaos chickens to be added to the fight. Although this game went south for the Thousand Sons early, it was interesting to see how much damage they still did in return. Though they were forced to cede the field to the Tyranids, they did not do so without a fight.

The Shadow in the Warp has always felt like a tack-on rule to me; I’ve played the army since 3^rd edition, and it never really seemed to have much effect on the game. Now, though, it makes a world of difference. There were so many psychic powers that the Thousand Sons would have been able to get off if it weren’t for that pesky billion voices, screaming in the back of their minds. This psychic defense is doubly interesting after playing Necrons for so long, and feeling helpless for this entire phase of the game. Although I know it had to be maddening for the Thousand Sons, it was a blast to see the fluff of the Tyranid warp-presence come crashing into the game itself.

Look for more in the future; the Sons and the Tyranids will have many more battles to come!