Checking the Razor's edge
I've been trying to revamp my Godzilla Tyranid List for 5th edition. After reviewing my list concepts, my individual choices and my operations and tactics, I went down to the local GW to get in a pick-up game. Jared was finishing up a game helping a new player. After they wrapped up, he pulled out his Crimson Fists and we got in a game.

Game: One objective each, with Dawn of War Deployment.

Imperial Fists Space Marines
Pedro Cantor, Chapter Master with Command Squad in Rhino, 2x Tactical Squad(Las/Melta/Fist/Rhino) in combat squads. Sternguard Veterans in a Rhino. 2xLandspeeder Tornado, Small Scout squad in Landspeeder Storm. Vindicator and 2xWhirlwind.

Tyranids
184 Hive Tyrant BS4 S6 Warp Field, VC/TL-Devs
184 Hive Tyrant BS4 S6 Warp Field, VC/TL-Devs

113 Devilfex 1:Carnifex BS3 2xTL-Devourer
113 Devilfex 2:Carnifex BS3 2xTL-Devourer
113 Devilfex 3:Carnifex BS3 2xTL-Devourer

200 10x Genestealer Brood 1 Feeder Tendrils, Scuttlers
200 10x Genestealer Brood 1 Feeder Tendrils, Scuttlers
200 10x Genestealer Brood 1 Feeder Tendrils, Scuttlers
180 9x Genestealer Brood 2 Feeder Tendrils, Scuttlers
160 8x Genestealer Brood 2 Feeder Tendrils, Scuttlers

173 Gunfex 1: Carnifex Bs3 2+Sv, VC/BS
173 Gunfex 2: Carnifex Bs3 2+Sv, VC/BS

1993pts

Deployment

Deployment
I won deployment and first turn, and I actually took them! I set up my Genestealers as Outflankers and put one of my Hive Tyrants just off-center in my deployment zone.

Turn 1
Tyranids: My Monstrous Creatures walked on from my board edge and took up positions in cover spread across the left half of my deployment zone. I paid much more attention than usual to keeping my Monstrous Creatures safe, and I used my Venom Cannons to fire on the half tactical squads. I was hoping to take out his Lascannons early, but Night Fight rules kept me from seeing his squads.

Crimson Fists: He brought in his 4 rhinos, a pair on each side of his partial Tactical squads. A Tornado joined each side as well to round out his base of operations. The darkness also kept the Crimson Fists from shooting my Tyranids.

commentary: Not much really happened this turn, but I felt good about actually taking the first turn and putting my MCs in cover, which are a couple of the things I'd picked as problems previously.

End of Turn 1

Turn 2
Tyranids: 3 of my 5 Genestealer broods came in this turn. Two of them came in from my left side, close to his Vindicator and a Landspeeder Tornado, while the other came in on the far side, relatively close to his Tactical squads' Rhinos. I moved a couple of my Devilfexen (the Elite Carnifi) up out of cover to draw fire away from my heavier Carnifi and Hive Tyrants. My VCs focused on damaging his Lascannon squads to very little effect, while Genestealer brood 1 shredded the Vindicator. Genestealer brood 2 swarmed around the near Tornado, but failed to hit it.

Crimson Fists: In turn, the Crimson Fists moved their Rhinos forward and their fire focused on my Genestealers. His Landspeeder Storm came in on the same board edge as the first two Genestealer broods and helped focus some damage on them. I ended up losing 11 Genestealers from the three broods on the table, and Genestealer brood 1 (that killed the Vindicator) fell back toward my lines, but rallied in cover at the beginning of the next turn.

commentary: I was actually impressed with how much cover helped my Genestealers. It really could have been much worse. In the future I'll have to pay a little more attention to getting them in cover when they are Outflanking, as this was mostly accidental. On the other talon, focusing my VC fire on the Lascannon half-squads was actually kind of dumb. The Tornados and Whirlwinds would have been much better targets for them, since they'd have a good chance of actually preventing them from shooting.

End of Turn 2

Turn 3
Tyranids: The remaining two Genestealer broods come in on my Right side. One of them immediately starts moving toward the objective in my Deployment Zone. Devilfex 1 fires a fullisade of Devourer Grubs into the side and tracks of the Command Rhino, wrecking it. Devilfexen 2 and 3 fire at the expensive command squad, managing to kill 1 and put a Wound on the Chapter Master after all the Apothecary saves. One Tyrant stops a Whirlwind from firing, and a Gunfex stops one of the Landspeeders from shooting as well. Genestealer brood 2 immobilizes the Landspeeder Storm. On the far side of the board (near in the picture) 5 Genestealers assault a Tactical Squad's Rhino. 5 Hits. 1 Penetrating hit. The result? No shooting.

Crimson Fists: Tornado Heavy Flamer kills 1 Genestealer (is that even possible?) Scouts kill 4 Genestealers, the other Tactical squad and it's Rhino kill 4 Genestealers, the Sternguard Veterans unload everything into a single Devilfex and wipe it out. The second Whirlwind kills 1 Genestealer with indirect fire and pins the brood. The Command squad assaults the two remaining Devilfexen. They kill 1 and put two Wounds on the other, taking little or no damage in return. At this point, the Store Manager let us know that it was 15 minutes to closing, so we decided to call the game there.

commentary: If I'd realized how resilient the Command squad was (small squad with different model types allowing full Wound allocation, Storm Shields and an Apothecary) I'd have moved my Carnifi back a little bit to make them harder to charge. I'll have to keep an eye on that for future games, as it was a nasty shock. (I'll also have to remember it for my Deathwing army!) I was proud that I used the Devilfexen to open up the Rhino and then fire into the contents, though; and that I managed to use my VCs to actually keep vehicles from shooting this turn.

End of Turn 3

Score at Game's End: Crimson Fists 1, Tyranids 0.

What did we learn?
You can teach an old dog new tricks! I actually managed to do most of what I set out to do, and I think I would have had a good shot at winning the game with another few turns. Certainly not a guarantee, but a good possibility. I didn't miss the Zoanthropes this time, and I was really glad for the extra Genestealers.

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