Beach Clean-Up: Adeptus Custodes vs Tyranids

There's more than just raw sewage on this beach. Custodes! Attack!

This is a little impromptu game Kas and I (Kraken) had over the weekend. A chance for one of my new armies to get some fight time, plus some long-awaited debuts from the Tyranids. It's a maelstrom game, using the new CP system, although we house ruled traits and relics back in because we missed them.

Lictor? I never even touched 'er

Biovores and Lictors are the order of the day for me, two of each of these lovely old models getting their first look in. And the new codex! Although it's not that new any more. 

Nothing particularly spicy here. It's a casual game for casual people, we'll have no trouble here. Hive Fleet Gorgon lets everything wound on no worse than a 4+, which, okay, that's a fairly spicy pick against Custodes. But I didn't know I'd be up against them, and I thought they looked fun!

A Tervigon has always been one of my favourites, and they're pretty good these days. Thirty children to chitter and swarm around it, twenty Gargoyles, three Warriors and a Prime make up the rest of the army. The Tervigon has a warlord trait to deal mortal wounds to everything near it in combat, the Prime has a relic to spawn a group of Rippers instead of shooting for one round. Fun!

Tyranid Patrol Detachment

• HQ - Tervigon with Poisonous Influence power and Lethal Miasma trait
• HQ - Warrior Prime with Devourer, Lash Whip and Bone Sword, Gestation Sac relic
• Troops - 30 Termagaunts with Fleshborers
• Troops - 20 Gargoyles
• Troops - 2 Warriors with twin Bone Swords and Deathspitters, 1 with Venom Cannon and Rending Talons
• Fast Attack - 2 Lictors
• Heavy Support - 2 Biovores

Cream of the Custodes

Emerging from the shadows of their storage crate are the Custodes, tonight appearing as the Emperor's Chosen for lots of rerolls and saves against mortal wounds. As you'd expect, there aren't many of them - slightly fewer than there are Termagaunts, in fact, but it's actually a relatively numerous list all things considered. 

A big unit of Sagittarum to rush the middle and shoot, with a smaller Custodian unit to back them. The heavy hitters today are a Blade Champ to lead, armed with extra relics and traits to make him pretty unkillable, and a unit of three Allarus Terminators, who won't go anywhere fast. 

The numbers come from the Sisters of Silence. Five Prosecutors to do back line objective squatting, then six Witchseekers for an early flame rush. And a Knight-Centura to make up points and look pretty, although I'm sure she's very handy in a fight too. 

Adeptus Custodes Patrol Detachment

• HQ - Blade Champion with Superior Creation trait and Eagle's Eye relic
• HQ - Knight Centura
• Troops - 5 Prosecutors
• Troops - 2 Custodian Guard with Spears, 1 with Shield and Sword
• Troops - 5 Sagittarum Custodians
• Elites - 3 Allarus Terminators
• Elites - Vexilla with Vexilla Defensor
• Fast Attack - 6 Witchseekers

Kraken had built both lists, and then given me choice; but as I had been deep in Custodes games, I stuck with them to try and keep starts and stats in head. However I don't own any sisters, so there were going to be some new toys to try.

Mission and Terrain

It is a day at the beach, as I mentioned, complete with a Truss-approved Sewage Plant. We've got four objectives scattered across it, and we're fighting from Dawn of War long edges (not that this 4x4 board has them). 

It's a Maelstrom - today everyone is miserable and can't use the auto-pass morale strat. The mission is a straight up objective grab, so as well as the usual 1, 2, More scores, there are 2 VPs a turn for taking an objective held by the enemy or for wiping an enemy unit on an objective, or 3 if you do both. Should be brutal. 

Deployment

I'm defending, and I set up in a fairly broad sweep across the board. Gargoyles with Warriors on one flank, Biovores overwatching the other from atop a building, the Tervigon and her brood relatively central, and all pointed towards the objectives in the middle. 

Kas hugs his cover as much as possible, keeping off the objectives for now so he won't get tied down to them by his missions (a handy trick to keep in mind for Maelstrom games - I've always warned my opponent before their first Tempest games, and still surprised by how often drawn on turn 1). He's also got a broad front, with the Prosectors and Allarus in the middle, the Blade Champion and Custodians facing down the Gaygoyle host and the rest ready to go and get the Termagaunts.

Pre-game, the Witchseekers dash forward into the sewage plant, putting them already rather closer than I'd like! In a game this size, we're starting 18" apart, and that's a lot of flame they're bringing...

Kas goes first!

Custodes Turn 1

Straight out of the gate and using their Calistus Ka'tah, the entire shieldhost rushes towards the middle. The Prosectors are the only exception, staying back on the objective there. 

Clearly, Kas is considering how to rid the world of the Termagaunts before they can get going, and he makes a grim fist of it. The Witchseekers pour fire in, followed up with bombardments from the Allarus grenades and the endless tide of guns the Sagittarum provide. There's even enough spare to partially disintegrate a Biovore. 

When it all settles, however, there are still nine of the little bugs standing, which is enough to grow them back. If I'm not too worried there, I am however seeing the solid numbers of solid troopers straddling No-Man's Land, and I'm wondering a bit how to shift them. Kas has scored very well too, with Storm Hostile Positions (grab the middle), No Retreat and Battle Supremacy for a 15-point first turn. I'd better draw well!

I must admit, I am disappointed that gaunts still there. Even more so when Kraken tells me what he can do about their casualties....

Tyranids Turn 1

It's not a bad draw, as it happens - my jobs are all to go and get the middle ground, Grinding Down the enemy as I do it. Good work, High Command, looks like our goals coincide for a change!

First things first, though, I have new bugs to birth. Between a strat and mummy's tummy, fifteen fresh new babies splatter on to the field, much to Kas's horror. Yep, there it is.. all that hard work meant just six died?! This is great, although it does also rather block the Tervigon's forward movement. Too busy cooing over her new offspring to attack, I suppose. 

I am remembering all my new Synaptic stuff, but really, none of it ends up making any difference in this game, so other than mentioning that it's fun to use, I won't go into details there. My new bugs seethe forward, as do the Gargoyles backed by the Warriors, and the shortrange firepower opens up. 

Not before the psychic phase is totally locked down by those Silent Sisters. Outshadowed in the Warp! Dammit! As a custodes player without sisters, this suddenly appealed as a way to have some survivability in pyschic... might need to consider shopping trip.

Firepower achieves very little, as you'd expect. But there's a slow accumulation of scrapes here and there from the sheer weight of shooting. Worst hit are the Witchseekers, who get wiped out by Fleshborers, direct fire Spore Mines and Spine Banks. I didn't expect them to live to be fair; but in hindsight: the loss hurts, given the gaunt regrowth. 

The Termagaunts charge cautiously in, stringing backwards to cover both objectives and stay in reinforcement range with Momma. This means they don't do much in combat (obviously), and a fair few get clobbered in return. So many that I can't actually hold the blasted objective, thanks to the double ObSec on Custodes. 

Apparently they are only double counted on look out sir; I have had enough people tell me that double obsec that seems to be common error, or perhaps a recent change? Either way: sorry. 

Worse, the Custodians on the other side use a strat to Intervene into the Gargoyles, along with their very keen Champion. Could be worse - I play Blinding Venom, and the combat is a bit of whiff from the Custodes (a mere six bat casualties!), but I've definitely nicked that objective, as well as taken a couple more wounds from the big chaps. 

Two missions achieved, and Grind Them Down under way...

Custodes Turn 2

Kas has to raise a banner, steal back objectives and not fall back anywhere, all of which suits him nicely. First, though - shenanigans! 

The Blade Champion uses a strat to switch allegiances. Remembering his lessons from the Solar Watch, he falls out of combat and sprints towards the incoming Tyranid Warriors. On the other end, the Allarus head into the Termgaunt pit, with the Centura backing them for a big pincer movement. The Vexilla hoists his banner on the middle ground, and the Prosecutors hold fast at the back. 

Caught in the swing of armoured bodies, the Termagaunts fold pretty conclusively. But one of them survives! Ha ha! So although that flank is thoroughly held by the Custodes, they're still stuck in the terma-tar. One Biovore goes down in the background, hit by grenades from the Allarus before they charge. 

The other flank is also looking good for the Guardians. Tyranid Warriors go splatting everywhere as the Blade Champion gets to work, killing the lot before they can react even though I use the strat to reduce wounds on them, although it does cost him a reroll himself. And in a similar picture to the Termagaunts, a lone Gargoyle survives a massacre and a rout. The Warriors are gone, so they aren't in Synapse, but they're still holding up the Custodes advance. 

The points are racking up for Kas, though, it's more solid scoring. 

Tyranids Turn 2

This is my cue to send in the Lictors. One to nobble the Blade Champion, one to take out the sisters at the back. The first one can even ambush from 6" away, as he can pop out in my own back line. 

Lictor Ambush! Or possibly just A Bush, not sure

Although I could reinforce the lonely Termagaunt, I decide to spit out a new squad instead. I don't trust my dice rolling, getting ten definite new ones instead of 2d6 seems more use right now. The new squad dart off to hide behind the coolant towers, ready to threaten something (very mildly) later. And that done, Momma Bug thumps in to avenge her many dead. 

Rather than take the Blade Champion on himself, the Prime also gives birth. Two sets of Rippers join him to help hold the other flank, although they end up sitting still when they fail their charge later. The Prime goes and wastes another Custodian, although he's not in time to save the final Gargoyle and takes a fair few wounds himself. 

The Lictors disappoint rather, the one near the back fails its charges (thanks to a timely tanglefoot grenade), and the other utterly bounces off the Blade Champion, who is clearly enjoying himself. At least he doesn't kill it immediately, so it will get another try next turn. And the Tervigon crushes an Allarus handily, maiming a second one as it does so and not taking any wounds in return. Because everyone is busy waling on the last Termagaunt, who is utterly mushed into the sand. 

Not much scoring for me here, I'm behind on primaries and the new card draw (no fallsy backsies, hold all the middle) is a bit beyond me. 

Custodes Turn 3

Kas is given a Tempting Target, which I pick as the objective we're dithering over on the north side, and has to Bring It Down. All eyes on the Tervigon, then! 

Sure enough, the full weight of the south flank crashes into her, although they do some pretty effective shooting first. The Sagittarum turn the last Biovore to dust and help the Prosecutors perforate the rear Lictor with their longer-range bullets, and it's only thanks to luck that I survive. Although I guess that's always true in 40K...

The Tervigon tanks nine wounds in combat, dishing out only one or two in return, and these thanks to her lethal smell aura. But that's enough to kill another Terminator, at least. 

To the north, the Lictor scrapes a single wound from the Blade Champion before becoming salami, but it's curtains for the last Custodian as the Prime puts in a solid turn of chomping. Not a big scoring turn, but Kas is certainly keeping pace with my few gains. 

Tyranids Turn 3

I'm limping here (like a sad New Yorker), but gamely give it a last shot. The Prime duels the Blade Champion as the Rippers take his objective for him, and the Termagaunts swarm the Vexilla to steal No-Mans' Land entirely. These are both one-sided fights, sadly, and although most of the Termagaunts survive, the Prime is cut down in his, erm, prime. 

At the back, my last Lictor assaults the sisters, and after dodging a bullet in Overwatch, makes it in. Silently, three of them die, but it's not enough to take the objective, and all Kas will need to do is retreat next turn to keep out of trouble. 

Finally, the Tervigon dies, hacked apart by the Allarus, and that's the last nail in my coffin. As the sand is stained with whatever colour ichor Gorgon has, we call the result there. 

The sun sets on some well-held objectives

Result: Custodes Victory, 72:33 

Locker Room

Great to have a go with the new Nid codex, at last, and also to try out the newer models (after nearly a year!). Sadly, I'm out of practice with them, and although I enjoyed the fight a lot, I think I could have done better. 

The Biovores, for one - I used them to hold that objective, but they'd actually have been more threatening and difficult by hiding and puffing out mines. Their damage output is greater that way, plus the tactical headache of having to avoid the spores. And I'd get to use the models! 

Lictors too. They're a lot better than they were, but I probably expected a bit much of them. Working in tandem would have been a good idea, or popping up in the woods where it's very hard to shift them, especially at range. Their movement is so high, they're very likely to make a charge one turn later than they arrive, and having them there as a threat is again a good tactical problem to give the enemy. Or maybe both of them should have ganked the Blade Champion, although blimey, he's pretty tasty!

For the other team, I enjoyed seeing the Witchseekers in action, as well as a solid performance across the board from an experienced player. Kas can explain better than I why he used to be unimpressed by Sagittarum but has come round to them. 

I had been playing them as back field objective holder, with some long range shooting, and yet some threat still if something arrives in backline with focussed version of gun, and still four attacks per man... however, I have now changed my plan. They have assault guns, which can fire both profiles like a combi weapon for -1 to hit. So I now plan on advancing every turn, firing both profiles and hitting on 3s as the double -1s won't stack. As they can still deal with non-elites with their 4Attach S5 AP-2 daggers they are not to be dismissed in melee.  

Good fun, and I'm already looking forward to using what I've learned for next time!

Absolutely; good game; and thank you for letting me try some new units, and for the last minute game.