40k Batrep: Khorne Daemonkin & CSM vs. Tyranids
Spore pods began to rain from the blood red boiling skies blotting out the crimson sun above… A splinter of the Hive Fleet touching down upon a forgotten crone world on the very edge of the Eye of Terror. Lord Magnus rose up mounting his Juggernaught as the Khorne Herald blew into his horn calling upon the nearby forces of the Skull God. An ancient war engine broke loose from its shackled bindings – the possessed mind spirit spooled through the data incoming from the warped auguries seeking for targets to destroy. Quickly a squad of humongous Bloodcrushers lead by the other Khorne Lord cantered in beside Magnus. Steam spouted from the Juggernaughts’ wide nostrils as they pawed the hard dirt. “Skulls for the Skull God!” cried the Herald as they broke into a charge strsight into the very heart of the alien horde.
I had a good game yesterday versus Tyranids. Here’s my army list:
Dread Army of Khorne
Chaos Daemons Daemonkin Combined Arms Detachment
– HQ –
Chaos Lord (210) /Warlord * Warlord Trait (3) +1 attack
Melta Bombs – Sigil of Corruption – Collar of Khorne – Juggernaut of Khorne – Axe of Khorne – Goredrinker
Herald (100)
Juggernaut of Khorne – Lesser Locus of Abjuration
– Elite –
4x Bloodcrushers (250)
Banner of Blood
Bloodhunter
– Troops –
Berzerkers (222)
7x Berzerkers – Icon of Wrath
Berzerker Champion – Melta Bombs 5 – Lightning Claw – Power Fist
Bloodletters (85)
7x Bloodletter
Bloodreaper
– Lord of War –
Chaos Typhon Heavy Siege Tank (410)
Armoured Ceramite – Lascannon sponsons
Chaos Space Marines Allied Detachment
– HQ –
Chaos Lord (180)
Mark of Khorne – Melta Bombs – Sigil of Corruption – Juggernaut of Khorne – Veterans of the Long War – Axe of Blind Fury
– Troops –
Chaos Space Marines (202)
7x Chaos Space Marines
Mark of Khorne – Veterans of the Long War – Icon of Wrath – Close Combat Weapons – Meltagun
Aspiring Champion – Melta Bombs – Mark of Khorne – Power Axe – Veterans of the Long War
– Heavy Support –
Chaos Land Raider (240)
Extra Armour
– Fast Attack –
Chaos Dreadclaw Drop Pod (100)
Notes:
1) Berserkers ride in the Dreadclaw.
2) Chaos Space Marines ride in the land raider.
3) I have sent an email to Forgeworld to see if it’s okay to include Typhon in the Daemonkin army – I wanted to see if I want to run it so this was its test match and my opponent was okay with it. Note Forgeworld replied it will be addressed in an upcoming FAQ.
Tyranid Army:
– HQ –
Tyrant – Wings – 2x Twin Linked Devourer /Warlord
Alpha Warrior – Rending Claws – Barbed Srangler
– Troops –
12x Hormagant – Adrenal Glands
12x Hormagant – Adrenal Glands
12x Hormagant – Adrenal Glands
12x Hormagant – Adrenal Glands
– Elites –
3x Zoanthrope
3x Zoanthrope
Venomthrope
– Fast Attack –
Mawloc
Mawloc
– Heavy Support –
Carnifex – Stranglethorn Cannon – Bioplasma
Carnifex – Stranglethorn Cannon – Bioplasma
Tyrannofex – Rupture Cannon
I don’t remember all the psychic powers rolled for the Tyranids but they did get a lot of Warp Blast which can double out any multi-wound model in my army and could do some serious damage to my heavy armor.
The mission was Crusade with five objective markers spread evenly across the table. Deployment was Dawn of War. No night fight. I won the roll to go first and took it. I would be holding the Bloodletters in reserve to deep strike along with the Berserkers in the Dreadclaw. My opponent held both his Mawlocs in reserve.
Here is a picture taken midway through the game which shows the table layout:
Here is my deployment:
I castled the two tanks with the HQ attached to the Crushers behind them so I’d have some cover if Tyranids seize.
Here is the Tyranid deployment:
As you can see the Tyranids split their deployment setting up in their two table quarters.
Tyranids failed to seize.
PRE GAME ANALYSIS
I decided to focus on one cluster of the Tyranids first going for the broods to my left – less intervening terrain to block line of sight for the Typhon plus more objective markers on that side of the table. That cluster contained two broods of Hormagants, one brood of Zoanthropes, Alpha Warrior, one Carnifex plus the Flyrant and Tyrranofex in support. I will just have to ignore the Flyrant as I don’t want to waste any of my limited fire power. The Berserkers will come in on my right side to deal with the other cluster supported by the Chaos Space Marine squad.
“I smell the foul ichor of tainted xenos.” says Magnus. “Their blood and skulls are as good as any other.” he grimaced as he gave the signal to charge. “Tear them limb from limb!” The Juggernaughts gnash their metal teeth in anticipation of the soon to come carnage.
1st Turn Khorne
Not much to do this turn and I forgot to bring in the dreadclaw assault pod. The two Lords and Herald attached to the Crusher squad amble into the ruin beside the Typhon for cover. Typhon and land raider pivot.
Shooting from the Typhon deletes the majority of one Hormagant brood, wounds the Carnifex and eradicates three more Hormagants from the other brood. The Typhon fires one lascannon into the Carnifex dropping another wound. The Land Raider then manages to drop one more wound. This game it happened quite a lot I would bring a monstrous creature down to its last wound but not be able to finish it off that turn.
Blood Tithe: 0
1st Turn Tyranids
To my left immediately the cagey Flyrant that had been hiding behind a building takes to the air to draw a bead on my Crushers. The Alpha Warrior splits off from the small brood of Hormagants joining the larger brood and they surge forward supported by the Carnifex. The smaller brood of Hormagants drop back behind a small piece of terrain to hide from the Typhon. The Tyrannofex moves up to the side of the building drawing a bead on the land raider while the Zoies hold their position inside.
To my right the other swarm starts to move forward with the other brood of Zoies leading the way.
The Tyranids cast the FNP psychic power successfully over to my left juicing the Tyrant and wounded Carnifex. Warp blast is cast on my Crushers but is easily denied.
Shooting sees the Crushers only lose one model to the Tyrant’s devourers thanks to cover from the ruin and the Tyrannofex rupture cannon bounces harmlessly off the Land Raider.
Nothing major this turn but things will start to liven up soon.
2nd Turn Khorne
The Dreadclaw assault pod comes in automatically landing far to my right.
The Bloodletters also arrive deep striking into the same ruin housing the Crushers and they stick it. The Crushers move forward out of the ruin straight towards the Tyranid menace right next to the Alpha Warrior, Hormagants and wounded Carnifex. The land raider moves a bit to shield the Typhon from any incoming warp blast. The Typhon moves to the left so it can draw line of sight to one of the gaunts cowering behind cover.
The Bloodletters run inside the ruin to spread out expecting one of the Mawlocs to land on them then the shooting commences.
The Typhon drops ordnance on the poor gants vaporizing them back to the spore pools and a lascannon sponson puts an end to the Carnifex as well… two Blood Tithe points just like that.
The Crushers then charge the Alpha Warrior and gants with the Herald issuing a challenge to the Alpha Warrior. The Lord with Goredrinker swings first with the Axe of Khorne to ratchet up his kill count… The other Lord finishes off the rest of the gants for another Blood Tithe point. The gants are able to drag down another Crusher in their final death throes. Finally the Herald deals two wounds to the Alpha Warrior taking none in return, keeping them locked in combat.
First Blood, Blood Tithe: 3
2nd Turn Tyranids
Both Mawlocs come in from reserve. One lands clipping my Crushers but scatters off harmlessly. The other lands on top of the Bloodletters with minimal scatter but due to the spread and some hot invulnerable saves I only lose one daemon then the Mawloc goes back into reserve.
One of the Hormagant broods over to my right makes a move towards the Crushers hoping for a long charge while the Flyrant circles over the Bloodletters (still zooming). The Zoies to my right move into a ruin closing in towards my heavy armor.
The start of the psychic phase sees the Tyrant fail to successfully cast warp blast versus the Land Raider. It does manage to successfully cast FNP on itself and the Alpha Warrior.
Tyranid shooting then commences… He fires into the Bloodletters but I only lose two again due to cover from the ruin – amazing. The Tyrannofex then misses both shots with its rupture cannon.
The Herald dispatches the Alpha Warrior for another Blood Tithe point and takes a wound in return.
Blood Tithe: 4
MID GAME ANALYSIS
The Blood Tithe can build up very quickly – especially when you reach hand to hand combat. Most armies don’t have much in the way of dedicated melee units so Khorne Daemonkin can tear through them… Even Tyranids now seem geared more towards shooting. I’m hoping to be able to summons a Bloodthirster just for the fun of it and see if it can do anything productive. If nothing else it’ll be a great distraction unit assuming it comes in which can be a gamble on 8 Blood Tithe points since it requires a leadership test. That is one of the reasons I run Berzerkers and Chaos Space Marines since the champions have high leadership.
Notice that multi-wound models such as the Crushers are great versus Mawlocs as you can see in this report plus even the Bloodletters were able to survive due to having an invulnerable save. The same holds true for Flesh Hounds which I’ll discuss more in length in the post analysis.
3rd Turn Khorne
This can be the turn to put the coffin in the nail ! Luckily the Hormagant brood to my right just failed the charge even with fleet into my Crushers which could have potentially kept them locked in combat this turn. The Tyranid menace is exposed on all fronts as you’ll see… Time to make the most of it.
The Bloodletters rush out of the ruin keen to seek revenge on the Mawloc while the Crushers canter up to charge the Hormagants that failed their charge last turn. The dreadclaw assault pod goes into hover mode beside the other Hormagant brood and Venomthrope. The Land Raider moves up a bit to disgorge the Chaos Space Marines to assault the Zoies located in the central building.
The Typhon fires its ordnance on the Zoies in the far building but the brood passes all its invulnerable saves. The Typhon and Land Raider then fire their lascannons into the Mawloc striping three wounds.
The Crushers then charge the Hormagants wiping them out for another Blood Tithe point. The Berserkers multi charge the other Hormagant brood and Venomthrope wiping them all out. The Chaos Space Marines charge the Zoies wiping them out and finally the Bloodletters assault the wounded Mawloc and finishing it off as well bringing the Blood Tithe count up to 8 ! Note the Daemonkin Lord is now S10 due to Goredrinker and I lost another Crusher to the gants.
First Blood; Blood Tithe: 8!!!
3rd Turn Tyranids
The Tyranids must rise to challenge with diminishing forces ! The last Mawloc crashes back in on top of the Crushers scattering partially over the Zoies in the building. I lose another Crusher and the Zoie brood loses one as well. The Mawloc then goes back into reserve again.
Warp blast from the two Zoies manage to strip two hull points from the Land Raider and blow off the twin linked heavy bolter. The Flyrant fails to successfully cast warp blast this turn.
The Flyrant swoops on top of the building drawing a bead on the Crushers while the remaining Zoies and Tyrannofex take aim on the Land Raider. This turn the Flyrant finds its mark blasting two more Crushers off the table bringing the unit down to the last one along with full command (i.e., two Lords and Herald). The Tyrannofex then strips another hull point from the Land Raider bringing it down to its last one.
4th Turn Khorne
I go for the Bloodthirster successfully summoning the greater daemon through the Chaos Space Marine champion… w00t (for the blood god)!
As this point the game is pretty much a foregone conclusion so I’ll wrap it up now.
Lord Magnus wipes the last of the sticky gore from his heavy axe. His eyes are blazing red orbs of deep hate. The very ground pulses like a beating heart. Everywhere the eye can see lay mounds of dead Tyranids ripped and shredded. A pack of Flesh Hounds howl as they chase a skull Magnus tossed aside. The ground wicks away the alien ichor leaving behind only the stripped clean bones of the dead. Magnus leads his followers back to the temple… the air is saturated with the smell of smoldering bronze. They can feel the rage building inside.
POST GAME ANALYSIS
What I took away from this game …
— I am working on building a full squad of Flesh Hounds to replace the Bloodcrushers. The command does all the heavy lifting while Flesh Hounds can scout and tank more wounds.
— I’m not 100 percent sold on the Typhon yet. It’s a lot of points which could go elsewhere in the army but unlike most Daemonkin armies I’ve seen I think it’s a wise investment to have some long ranged shooting to act as the anvil. For the points though I could get another land raider and a decked out Soul Grinder. The S10 AP2 7″ ignore cover blast is really a big threat versus most armies but my worry is a Wraithknight one shotting it with long range D.
— I’m really happy with the two Lords and Herald… They are very resistant to enemy maledictions and do all the heavy lifting in melee… The Crushers were mainly there to tank wounds. I made an ungodly number of saves versus the Flyrant which was probably a real game changer. It’d be much tougher versus three or more with average saves so thinking ahead it’s very important how you manage your assaults to stay locked in combat during the enemy turn which worked out well for me this game.
— In case you are wondering the greater daemon did not manage to reach close combat this game since it ended after the fifth and final turn. It was still exciting to build up the Blood Tithe and bring him into corporeal space. Probably army wide FNP for the Daemonkin detachment is the better bet but it sure was fun to swoop the Bloodthirster one turn vector striking the old Flyrant.
Overall I think Daemonkin can be competitive enough to challenge the top armies in the current meta but you better have a solid plan and well designed army list.
