1750 pts Alien invasion vs SM/GK

[free]

Hi Friends,

I will play in an Alien Invasion scenario arranged by our local GW store this WE. We are 4-5 “Aliens” (Tyranids+Demons) who will bring 1750 pts each against a mixed GK/Space Marine force.
The below list is what I am planning on bringing. I guess one of the GK brings a paladin Deathstar with that banner and full of force weapons and stuff and a psyfle dread, one of the Spacemarines will have sternguards with combi-plasma, land raider(s), Terminators w assault cannon, some scouts, a powerful librarian, possibly a Stormtalon…
I will roll for Biomancy with the Tyrant and for biomancy for the first Tervigon. If I get Endurance I will roll for the other two as well. Otherwise I will keep Catalyst on one.
Anyway, my plan is to start everything on the board except for the Trygon which will DS, The Ymgarls will be dormant. Tyrant will Swoop and fire Devourers and possibly psychic power and Gargoyles will try to keep up moving in.
Tervigons will move up and (as I assume a bunch of marines will be camped in cover) move in and destroy any buildings they can get to and anyone they run into on the way there.

1749 pts (10+KP, 5MC+59 other models)

HQ
Hive Tyrant, w/ Bonesword & Lashwhip, OA, T/L Devourers, Wings, 275
Tervigon, CC, TS, Catalyst (possibly switched for Biomancy), 210

ELITES
7x Ymgarls, 161
3x Hive Guard, 150

TROOPS
10x Termagants, 50
Tervigon, CC, TS, Catalyst, Onslaught (switched for Biomancy), 225
10x Termagants, 50
Tervigon, CC, TS, Catalyst, Onslaught (switched for Biomancy), 225

FAST ATTACK
29x Gargoyle, TS, 203

HEAVY SUPPORT
Trygon, 200

Any advice, suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated as I have only just taken up the hobby again after a 10 year break and since this will be my second game in 6th ed.

Thanks!!

[Deleted]

I would recommend getting together with your partner and discussing strategy so your lists work well together and you guys have a gameplan. I think you should really focus on being able to tarpit the GK Deathstar with Gargoyles and Termies so you guys can smash the (please do not swear) out of the SM. Don't waste valuable time trying to kill the Deathstar, tarpit tarpit tarpit with little troops.

[free]

Thanks for the suggestions 60. We will not be able to meet up before, but I will see if I can at least get in e-mail contact to share lists and maybe meet up for a couple of minutes just before the game.

I guess I would need more little guys if I want to go for tarpitting the Deathstar, right?

[Deleted]

29 Gargoyles is a good tarpit. They can hit fast and 29 wounds is a lot to chew through. If they do manage to chew through 29 wounds before game end there will be some Termagants (insert Tervigon nearby here to keep Gargoyles fearless and in CC for eternity) ready to jump in and keep them locked down, assuming they survive 29 Toxic Gargoyles wounding on 4+ and 6s instawound. You will lock down far more points than it takes to tarpit them which will let you guys focus chunks out of their team with your relatively higher unit availability. Most missions are objective based, so if you tarpit his deathstar and wipe the troops they will be climbing a steep hill just to score points.

[free]

Thanks! Thats great advice.

The Gargoyles can also have preferred enemy if the Tyrant happens to be close by. Do you think going for wrecking fortifications/buildings is a valid approach to get to the smurfs?

[Deleted]

If they bunker up in a building just make sure to hit it with MC CC for the +1 damage result from ap2, that gives you a chance to detonate the building. The Tervigons with Crushing Claws would be your best candidate for wrecking buildings as they'll give you the most s10 hits

[free]

I have played two battles (5th ed) against a combined force of one of the SM and one of the GK and they put almost their entire force in cover pouring fire over us. One time it was the Ymgarls that made the big difference and the other they boarded me. :-P

[free]

Would Doom or a Swarmlord deathstar be good units for this kind of battles? any opinions?

[forteh]

Swarmlord eats paladin deathstars for breakfast, well he did for me, I ran him with 2 lashwhip guard and he killed 5 paladins in the first 2 turns of combat. Went on to finish the second squad of 5 off as the ymgarls were struggling to get enough rending hits.

Had mixed results with the doom, if you hit him with iron arm or endurance he should be able to tarpit quite effectively on his own

[Jabberwocky]

Swarmlord does help to eat deathstars and with iron arm/endurance can even shrug off psybolt spam.

Dealing with draigo though, might be best left to tarpits as suggested.

DoM could be great if they cluster up and bunker down and I'd certainly try to fit him in.

[free]

If included would you then run Doom with cataclysm or roll for biomancy?

[roxor08]

Keep doom with Cataclysm. But I would suggest against even taking him.

Another suggestion would be DONT DEEP STRIKE THE TRYGON! People INSIST on Deep striking Trygons. They are fast enough to make combat by turn 2. Don't waste another turn by deep striking him into their range and letting him get lit up.

Otherwise, my suggestions are the same as 60mm. Use gribbles to tarpit the deathstar. Why waste the points on throwing a Swarmlord at it? Ideal scenario for any army: Send your melee strong units at their melee weak, and shoot/tarpit their melee strong units.

With the above scenario, you don't waste valuable turns/points locking yourself into a stalemate (especially when you have a paladin deathstar vs. Swarmlord deathstar) Yes our deathstar is better, but you'll waste 3 turns with a unit that should be dishing out PE and FC as a great synergistic effect.

[free]

Makes sense. But in that case you could still tarpit with the small guys and throw the Swarmlord deathstar at other units than Draigo or is it still better with the winged tyrant and tervigon?

[Jabberwocky]

It kind of depends what your Chaos ally brings. While Swarmlord is great, having a double dakka Flyrant or 2 really shreds AV12 and under with an amazing threat range.

If your Swarmlord does get bogged down, remember he can still bless/malediction/PE/FC any unit in range, assuming he doesn't need it on himself.