The Tyranids of Hive Fleet Lexus are trying to devour a planet full of T’au. Will the improved Codex T’au be able to hold off the ever-hungry swarm?
Editor’s note: This bat rep was filmed before the BIG FAQ, and the Tyranid list is still legal but only over on points. Going forward Juice will be dropping the biovores to keep the list pointed correctly. If you think about it, this is one of the few lists from the top 16 at Adepticon that is still actually legal post FAQ.
Stephen and Austin go head to head with the Codex T’au taking on an Adepticon Tyranid list. Since this is a pre-Adepticon battle report, the Dust to Dust mission (mission 2) will be run from the tournament missions. This mission sets up objectives five objectives, one in each corner and the last in the center, and deploys with Vanguard Strike. The primary objective is to control the most objectives by the end of the game, with a secondary objective giving awarding victory points for every 100 points worth of enemy units destroyed by the end of the game. Tertiary objectives are chosen by each player for their own games, picking five from a list. Austin won the roll to go first, and the T’au get to lead the charge.
The Tyranids, lead by Stephen, have a Kronos brigade led by two flying Hive Tyrants and a Malanthrope, 50 Termagants, three Rippers, twelve Hive Guard, five Mieotic Spore Sacks, two Mucaloid Spores, and three Biovores. Alongside this is a Supreme Command detachment with three Magus and a Superheavy Auxillary detachment with a Kraken Hive Tyrant. The Kraken is equipped with the relic providing -1 to hit. Stephen’s tertiaries are Marked for Death, Vanguard, Lead from the Back, Fire for Effect, and Big Game Hunter.
Austin is bringing T’au to the party, painted by the Wobbly Modelers. Deadpool the Ethereal is leading the charge, bringing an Outrider detachment with a Y’vahra Battlesuit, two units of Tetras, and six Pathfinders. The Vanguard detachment has a Riptide, armed with burst cannon, and accompanied by two Ghostkeels with fusion weapons, and a Commander. Finally, the third detachment, a Superheavy Auxillary, contains the Stormsurge. Austin’s tertiary objectives are Fire for Effect, Marked for Death, Linebreaker, Lead from the Back, and Lead from the Front.
Turn one, the T’au deployed aggressively to go for the first turn. They do not move much to aim to keep as far from Tyranid teeth as possible while still being able to shoot them. He shoots the Hive Guard with markerlights, burning a command point to mark them with five total lights. The flamer ends up wiping out a unit of Hive Guard with twelve successful wounds at -3ap. With everything else, the rest of the Hive Guard, three mines, a Biovore, and several Termagants are taken down as well.
Stephen’s turn one starts down quite a few strong models but is still going to go for aggressive gameplay. One Magus takes over the Y’vahra and distributes quite a few wounds around the board. Smites and a ton of shooting is able to take down the Y’vahra with some great rolls of the dice (and a few failed 2+ saves), as well as put wounds on other battlesuits throughout the field. With other members of the Tyranids buffed with -1 to hit, the Tyranids are looking to hold out against the second onslaught of firepower from the T’au.
Heading into turn two, each army is down some heavy hitters and some buffs have gone around. WIll the T’au be able to take down more of Hive Fleet Lexus before they are trapped in close combat? Will Hive Fleet Lexus avenge their fallen comrades? Find out by pressing play on the video below!
