First Fight - Iron Crusade vs. Tyranids 27Feb2014

So with some rush to get models to a modicum of usefully built state, Dave S. and I squared off for my first chance to play my new SM army. Predictably, this did not end well. Fun game, but it was incomplete, filled with some stupid mistakes on my part, and some horrible luck sprinkled on top.

2250 Points, Crusade (5 OBJ), Hammer & Anvil

Iron Hands:  Iron Gauntlet Mk IIIb
The Bugs: (Per memory, and wargear not included)

• 2 Flying Hive Tyrants
• 2 Hive Crones
• 1 Harpy
• 1 Exocrine
• 1 Tervigon
• 1 Tyrannofex
• 1 Mawloc
• 2 Venomthropes
• 3 Zoanthropes
• 30x Termagants w/ 20 devourers
• 30x Termagants

We did terrain setup per the BRB. I've come to appreciate why terrain placement is part of the basic mission format. With fortifications and list builds, terrain is a very important part of the plan. Being able to have some influence on the board, beyond just winning a choice of side for narrative terrain, is a big deal. It makes the pre-game tie into the rest of the game in a stronger way.

Hammer & Anvil deployment gave some depth to play with, and I deployed my bastion just left of center and well within my DZ. Terrain placement put a tall, LOS-blocking wall at mid-field, with about a 12" gap. I sprinkled terrain along what I hoped would be Dave's advance, hoping to slow down his blob and march forward. This included some linear fences in the gap, and some hills on his side of the wall. 

Dave won the toss for choice of turn position. He chose the bottom half of the turn, forcing me to deploy first and shoot first. Here was my first error. This IH list is not an alpha-strike army. I don't have enough real ranged power to want to go first. Plus, flying monsterous creatures have that lovely ability to start on the board, but not be flying when deployed. With the venomthropes, it's cover-saves all day for the bugs.

Turn 1