Battle Report 1850 Grey Knights vs Tyranids

All right got a couple of games in versus Fred Fortman a very very good player in our area and nationally. I was taking my revised Mordrak list which I am taking to the AWC Invitational . The list is 1850:

Mordrak and 3 Ghost Knights w/halberds

Librarian w/Sanctuary, Shrouding, Might, Warp Rift and teleport homer

6 Purifiers 3 halberds, 2 psycannon, justicar w/hammer in rhino

5 Terminators 4 halberds, hammer, psycannon

10 Strikes 2 psycannons

10 Interceptors 2 psycannons and justicar w/hammer

Stormraven w/TLLC & TLMM

Ven Dread w/Autocannon and psybolt ammo

Fred was playing

Swarmlord w/two guard

Troop tervigon w/10 gaunts w/a lot of shots

2 x 20 Hormagaunts w/poison and some other stuff

17 genestealers

16 genestealers

Doom in a pod

2 x 3 hive guard
We were playing the old corner deployment zone. The three victory conditions were kill the highest point HQ, As many units with in 6" of the board center and home and home objective. Fred one the roll to go first Fred put his objective all the way in the very back corner of his deployment zone. Because of all the outflanking genestealers and the need to get to the middle I placed my objective in the middle of my deployment zone.
Fred deploys the swarmlord in the middle of the board behind a big los blocking terrain piece in the middle. Hive guard units on either side. The tervigon on my left towards my smaller area of my trangle. Devigaunts behind the tyrant. Finally the hormagaunts were in a line along the deployment zone and another group a little farther back. The Doom was in reserve on his pod, one unit of genestealers (17) infiltrating and one unit outflanking. I place my strikes next to a piece of terrain opposite his right flank with the tervigon and gaunts, I place the termies and dread behind the terrain the interceptors go to the right of the terrain. Mordrak and the libby go in the raven a little farther back out of hive guard range to my right while the purifiers go in their rhino behind the interceptors. With a 4 on the Grand Strategy roll the interceptors and the dread were scoring. Right now I am thinking this is going to be an uphill battle. It will be very tough to claim the center condition with out wiping everyone out. Also it will be hard to kill the swarmlord and get someone to his objective. Oh well maybe I can kill off enough guys and send the interceptors there. He places his stealers 18" away form the strikes in terrain. I fail to seize the initiative

Fred's Turn One

Everyone moves forward. The tervigon poops out ten gaunts but rolls doubles and is done. The gaunts head for Fred's objective. Everyone but the hive guard fleet forward. The guard kill one strike and one interceptor. Somehow the tervigon gives the genestealers feel no pain. Great genestealers in cover with feel no pain. Next turn will be full of charges.

My Turn One

I am at a quandary. The way Fred has set up it is forcing me to the little leg of my triangle. Either I can fall back and shoot and hope for bad fleet rolls or I can move forward and take the fight to them. I decide to do a little of both. Both the strikes and interceptors cast warp quake anticipating Doom coming in. The strikes fall back and shoot at the infiltrating genestealers. The strikes move forward and 12" towards the leftmost hoppys and shoot them. Everyone else backs up and begins to blast genestealers. Mordrak gets out and him and the libby begin to shoot genestealers too. The raven knowing it will soon be a burning wreck targets the Swarmlord with all the missiles and the multi melta and twin lascannon. I do two wounds to the Swarmlord and one to a guard. The interceptors kill a few hormagaunts. Everyone else unloads on the genestealers I do not kill enough maybe like seven after all is said and done. The interceptors charge the hormagaunts killing most of them after no retreat there are 3 left. This was my first big mistake I should have shot more at them. If I could have wiped them out the interceptors could have got away. Now I have to move in and will be in range of the Swarmlord next turn.

Fred's Turn 2

Here comes everybody. The genestealers come on in my right table edge and move forward. The Doom drops down on my right between the interceptor combat and the rest of my army. It is out of range for the big sucking spell due to fear of mishap. The other genestealers move forward to hopefully get a charge off on the strikes. Hormagaunts surge forward followed by the swarmlord moving to get a charge in the interceptors. The tervigon and devilgaunts move forward. The spawned gaunts go sit on Fred's home objective. I cast shrouding. The hive guard combine to blow up the stormraven. Doom shoots at the temies but does nothing. The devgaunts drop a terminator. Everyone else fleets. I cast sanctuary. The stealers assault the strikes losing maybe two guys to dangerous terrain. Swarmy goes and talks to the interceptors. The swarmlord puts a hurt on the interceptors killing six of them they finish off the gaunts. I am able to down the injured guard and put a wound on the swarmlord. Of course I pass my leadership.The genestealers strike after the strikes so I am able to cut the genestealers down to manageable numbers but still take a beating. I think the genestealers are left at about 5 and there are four strikes left.

My Turn 2

The termies and ghost warriors turn around to try and shoot the outflanking genestealers who of course are in cover.... The dreadnought gets ready to go in and help out the strikes. The interceptors prepare to meet the emperor. The ghost warriors, termies and the two psycannons from the purifiers down about 4 genestealers. The dread and the strikes finish off the other genestealers leaving me with out a DCCW and two strikes. The interceptors go down like five dollar whores.

Fred's Turn 3

Here comes everyone forward again. The devgaunts finish off the strikes, the hiveguard finish off the dread and the purifier rhino. Doom drops a template on the purfiers but nothing happens. Everyone else moves forward and fleets. Due to difficult terrain and sanctuary there are no charges.

My Turn 3

It is looking bleak. I have lost both the strikes and the interceptors along with the raven and the dread and the rhino. Well Mordrak usually winds up laying in a pile of his comrades bodies why should this be any different. I have the Swarmlord 13 genestealers a bunch of hormagaunts, the Doom and whatever the hell else coming for me. I move forward I am able to multicharge the Swarmlord, Doom and hormagaunts with the librarian, the termies and purifiers. Mordrak and the warriors charge the genestealers. in the big combat I lose the libby, two termies and like three of the purifiers. However I kill 14 gaunts, one guard and put a wound on old Swarmy. (by the way the Swarmlord rolled abysmally killing like one guy) the Swarmlord, Doom and the gaunts die to no retreat. The warriors kill about 7 of the genestealers take some casualties I think I am left with one warrior and a wounded Mordrak. He passes morale with 5 or so genestealers left

Fred's Turn 4

Well that was quite a blow to Fred but he still has all his shooting left. The devgaunts polish off the purifiers while the hiveguard finish the termies. I kill all but one of the stealers and lose the last warrior and take a wound on Mordrak. He also moves everything closer for the oncoming shooting of Mordrak.

My Turn 4

Mordrak kills the last stealer and makes his peace with the emperor.

Fred's Turn 5

Mordrak dies in a hail of whatever it is that tyranids shoot.

Was an uphill game from the beginning but I made a couple of tactical mistakes. I should have shot more at the gaunts and maybe could have freed up the interceptors. I also set up poorly and was in combat too early. Oh well was a great game.