WarGamePainting

Hey hey guys...

Im looking at my nids book, and im torn. I dont know what to do!

Hive Guard or Zoans.

This is for a competitive list, and at high point costs (aka Ard boy'z)...So should I run 3 squads of 3 Hive guard, and be able to break the heck out of rhinos, and stun bigger things like vidicators and landraiders? or should i run 3 squads of 3 zoans in pods to deal with all comers. OR should i run 2 of one, and 1 of the other?

Cons with zoans

The only problem i have with the zoans atm are when dropping them in pods, that squad is now 2 kill points...(all of whom can be insta killed, and with melta spam being a favorite now a days it kinda worries me{or a well place power fist blow to the face}) Also =I= hoods will stop 50% or MORE of my zoans warp lances.

Pros with zoans

Anit landraider/AV 13/other such scary things...and pretty solid anti power armor blast str 5 ap3.

Cons with hive guard

not a great chance of getting damage on AV 13 or AV 14 (but honestly as long as they arnt moving or shooting im happy with the roll of a 1,2,3,4...but on glancing tables im less likely to get the 3's and 4's) lack of anti Monsters creatures, or infantry.

Pros with hive guard

shutting down intervening terrain, T6 and 3 wounds(?) 1 kill point, better chance of breaking rhinos and things like them (which are spammed now). lower point cost (even more so being as i drop my zoans every game)

So based on my feelings im still torn...what do you guys think? Zoans or Hive guard?

Here is a Battle Report from one of our youtube subscribers! A HUGE thank you to ApocalypseRAT for this great, in depth battle report! Hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did.

Now this game, in my opinion, was the best one I've seen so far. This is for wargamepainting's contest. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this. So, without further adieu; My battle report.

TrollBlood Vs. Skorne a Warmachine/Hordes 1000pt Battle Report

TrollBlood List:
Grim Angus
Grissel Bloodsong
Troll Impaler x2
Dire Troll Mauler x2
Trollkin Champions x2
Kriel Warriors x10
+ Kriel Warrior Standard Bearer & Piper
Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes x6
Fell Caller x2
Swamp Gobber Fog Bellows Crew
Alten Ashley

Skorne List:
Lord Assassin Morghoul
Lord Tyrant Hexeris
Titan Gladiator
Rhinodon
Cyclops Brute
Cyclops Savage
Cyclops Shaman
Basilisk Krea
Venators x10
Praetorian Swordsman x10
Ancestral Guardian
Paingiver Tormentor & Beast Handlers x5
Agonizer
Praetorian Ferox x4
Swamp Gobber Fog Bellows Crew
Saxon Orrik

Battle Field:
The Field was a bit countryside scenic. There were 3 houses; one to the right of the TrollBloods' deployment zone and two to either side of the Skorne deployment zone.
Not far from the center of the Skorne deployment zone there was a small shed off to the right with a 3 part fence a few inches in front of it, that became known as the trough. Just outside the TrollBloods' deployment zone there was a river which extended halfway down the board and ended in an upside down L-shaped wall with two bridges. Also, a poor sad tree all by its lonesome in the lower middle board.

TrollBlood Turn 1:
Grissle activates and casts hoof it on the Kriel warriors and banks the rest of her fury to the Krielstone bearer. The pair of Impalers run up field and are riled. Grim moves up to the edge past the river and gives his Impaler cross country, then gets angry at the fence trough and blows it up to get some fury off his chest. The Fell Caller gives pathfinder to the Trollkin Champions and the Champions run up. Rinse and repeat for the other Fell Caller and Trollkin Champions. The Kriel Warriors, Standard Bearer and Piper run up. Swamp Gobbers provide cover for the Maulers which run up and rile into the smoke cloud. Hoof it kicks in and the Kriel Warriors + UA advance again. Alten Ashley stays put.

Skorne Turn 1:
Skorne moves the Venators up and tries for the Trollkin Champions. Only 3 get the shot, they hit but for no damage. The swordsmen then move up next to the shed. Saxon moves up next to the corner of a house and fires on a Kriel Warrior, hits, but alas no damage. Hexeris moves and casts death march on the Ferox and puts 2 fury on the Agonizer. Then the Ferox, now empowered by Hexeris, advance up towards the Kriel warriors but fall short and they pounce, jumping into melee distance. The Ferox bite and strike with spears for the kill. The Standard Bearer goes down in a bloodbath but his fellow Kriel Warrior snatches up the standard. The rest of the Ferox attacks result in 3 knockdowns, 2 failed tough rolls and 3 succesful ones. The Rhinodon and Titan Gladiator move up and rile. The Gobbers smokescreen a couple of inches in front of the warlocks. Cyclops Savage moves up. The Cyclops Brute casts its animus and advances. Basilisk Krea generates her aura. Morghoul moves behind the Agonizer and goes stealth. All the Paingivers bring up the rear.

TrollBlood Turn 2:
Grim upkeeps cross country then casts the Impaler's animus on himself as well as return fire on his Trollkin Champions. The Fell Caller moves up and calls open road on the Champs. Now the Trollkin Champions run up to 3 inches short of the swordsmen and Venators. Impaler moves up to mid-field then chucks a spear to the face of the Cyclops Savage and boosts to hit, scoring 5 damage, then riles. Both Maulers run straight next to the Champs and they get riled up. They can taste those Skorne now. Grissle moves and sings hoof it on her Impaler. Her Impaler then moves up and attacks the Titan Gladiator. It boosts to hit and boosts damage for a whopping 2 damage on the mind branch, then hoofs it over behind the Maulers. The Gobbers gobb some smoke for the Kriel warriors for concealment. Fell Caller gives Revaly to his Champs and the Champs run up next to the Ferox. The Krielstone Bearer and scribes move up and buff ARM+2 for 9 inches. The Kriel Warriors move up to close on the Ferox going stoneforged and using potency dealing 2 damage to one Ferox and 4 damage to the other, the rest of the onslaught fails. Alten Ashley advances.

Skorne Turn 2:
Hexeris upkeeps death march. Venators squeeze between the Trollkin Champions' melee range and the side of a house successfully and wall up, as it were. Then, at as point blank as you can get, the Venators Combined Ranged attack the Champions' leader for 4 damage and 2 damage on the another Champion. Now the Praetorian swordsmen charge in; Only 4 get the charge off and the rest just advance. They kill the Champ leader but they miss 6 times, losing 6 swordsmen including the leader because of return fire. They then fail their command check and turn to flee. The Ancestral Guardian, now full of soul tokens and with a clear path to the Trollkin Champions, moves up and attacks. It hits one for 9 damage and kills it on its failed tough roll then uses all of its soul tokens but 1 to gain extra attacks. All attacks hit and another troll goes down. The Paingivers move up while 3 enrage the Titan, Savage and Rhinodon. The Cyclops Shaman casts amuck on the Rhinodon. The Ferox see their chance and jump over the Kriel Warriors and move in on Grissle. Only 3 get into range and attack with claws and spears for 11 damage to Grissle, while the 4th Ferox attacks Alten Ashley with his spear and misses then has to bite the Kriel Warrior Standard Bearer to kill it. The Standard Bearer fails his tough roll and goes down with no Kriel Warrior within range to pick up the Standard; A horrible morale hit to the TrollBloods. The Rhinodon enraged and running amuck, charges the far end of Grissle's Champs near the Mauler for 12 damage and a kill. Then circular strikes and hits 1 damage to one of the Champs and left only 1 damage to the Champs' leader. The Rhinodon also hits the Mauler for some good damage. The Cyclops Savage charges the other Mauler hitting for 9 damage, hits again boosting for 5 damage then a third time but misses. The Titan Gladiator charges between the 2 Maulers and hits for 9 damage to the spirit branch, breaking it. The second attack causes 4 damage and chain attack. Then with a boosted double-hand throw, tosses the Mauler into the Impaler which takes collateral damage and both are knocked down. The Agonizer moves up and with its screams of tortured pain emits a debilitating aura for 6 inches. Saxon takes another shot at the Champs' leader for no damage. Morghoul seeing his chance to optimize pain, moves smack dab into the gap of the field between the Kriel warriors, Trollkin Champions, warbeasts and his shaman and Paingivers. The Trolls seeing this insane move, hoot and holler in anticipation of the carnage that will ensue but their bloodlust goes unquenched as Morghoul cracks a toothy grin and casts them into a world of darkness (Morghoul uses his feat). He then uses his fan to recede 3 inches. The Swamp Gobbers bellow out some fog on the Titan Gladiator. The Krea and Brute move up. Hexeris advances and soulslaves on the Titan.

TrollBlood Turn 3:
Grim lets Cross Country drop and moves up to attack Hexeris at range, with headhunter. He hits for 1 damage then casts the Impaler's animus on the Impaler. The Impaler then moves up to get Hexeris in range while remaining out of range of the Agonizer's AOE. Luckily it gets LOS between the smokescreen and the shed. The Impaler lobs a spear with Hexeris' name on it for 7 damage. The blind Kriel Warriors move up with the blind Trollkin Champions. The Fell Caller attacks a Ferox to protect Grissle and hits for a kill. The Ferox deathmarches and attacks the Fell Caller, hits for a kill and the Fell Caller fails his tough roll. Both go down. Grissle realizing her peril sings her feat then attacks the Ferox captain twice, boosting both damage rolls for a deafening hit, killing the captain. Still deathmarched, the Ferox captain strikes back at Grissle before accepting death. It hits for 6 damage which she transfers to her Mauler, killing it and she receives 1 damage from overflow. Grissle's next attack targets the Ferox to her left, destroying it. It attempts to retaliate before death but fails. Now, Grissle makes a tough choice, spending her last fury to attack the last Ferox, which she also kills. It deathmarches, attacks Grissle and fails; You could just hear her sigh of relief. Now the only Mauler moves up to the Titan, bravely attempts to one-hand throw it while under blind, smokescreen, the Agonizer's AOE and Krea's aura. Maddeningly, it succeeds and throws the Gladiator towards Hexeris. It deviates and clips Hexeris for some nice collateral damage. Hexeris receives 5 damage and is knocked down. Alten Ashley, unable to get good LOS, shoots the Rhinodon and misses. All TrollBloods who are able, advance due to Grissle's feat.

Skorne Turn 3:
The Titan Gladiator, having too much Fury goes berserk and passes its threshold check. The Swordsmen run for their lives. Hexeris activates his feat and attacks the Mauler to kill it. The Rhinodon moves to Grim and attacks...

Conclusion:
Around this time the store was closing and the TrollBloods were basically dead. Also, the players were just having fun now. At one point in the game Karchev breaks out of a nearby house by the Skorne because they were making too much noise and because Saxon was firing just outside the window. After a lot of stomping, yelling and throwing stuff, Eiryss tells him to get back inside (They were having dinner.) One of the Maulers, was a Kodiak and the Gobbers on the TrollBlood side were played by 2 Risen. Also, Alten Ashley was the Khador mortar spotter. Skorne was basically the winner.

This Epic battle was really cool and I hope I did a good enough battle report.

-ApocalypseRAT