Well the tournament went alright, great time and a decent turn out for such a small store. We had 10 players in a 3 round tournament, 750 points, 1 HQ and Troops mandatory, another Troop and Fast Attack optional. My list is a few posts up which was severely limited by models but worked out okay (at least in the third game). The other armies consisted of 2 IG, 3 SM (2 of which were space wolves with identical builds), 1 Nurgle CSM, 2 Ork, 1 Tau, and my Nids.
ROUND 1: I was set up at a pretty open table with a large ridge to my left and a river on my right, some woods just ahead of my deployment zone in the center and a ruined building in the center corridor of the table between the ride and the river. I faced one of the space wolves build that had a Venerable Dreadnaught for HQ, 5 or so bikes for fast attack, and two marine squads, one with meltas and one in a rhino. His meltas were set up on my right along the bridge close to his DZ as a firing line. I deployed my flying rippers along that side to try to tangle up that firebase. He set up his bikes to my left along the ridge, I deployed my hormagaunts to run along the outside of the ridge and hopefully tear through the bikes and flank his main force. His rhino and dreadnaught were deployed dead center. My gaunts were placed dead center too with my broolord and retinue infiltrating in some woods to hopefully rend apart that dreadnaught. He got first turn.
I underestimated their shooting.
Turn 1 I got blasted to bits, entire genestealer retinue dead. despite their cover. Hormagaunts and bikes close in, just out of assault range. Winged rippers close in on the shooty marines. Due to some of my newbie rules confusion, my army moved about half the distance they could have and I could have avoided the next turn's events. Turn 2 broodlord mowed down, some gaunts get shot up. Bikes charge hormagaunts, rippers charge shooty marines. I manage to kill a couple bikes, not enough for VPs. I manage to kill a few marines but they own my rippers and gaunts. Due to lack of synapse most of my critters run off the board. 0 VPs for me, Massacre.
After round 1's crushing defeat, I hoped to see a round 2 victory as not to fall too far behind. Unfortunately, the randomly matched pairs really screwed me over...
ROUND 2: I'm set up on a very interesting sewer board with each DZ a raised platform and the center of the board is a stream of sewage with two large blocks of cover on either side, creating three pathways across the board. Unfortunatly on the other side of the table sat the other space wolves player with a nearly identical army except his shooty marines had different equipment. SO, along the pathway furthest to my right I set up my rippers and he set up his bikes. Along the right wall of his DZ he set up his shooty marines next to the bikes. Along the center I lined up my gaunts and he lined up his dreadnaught and rhino. On the left I lined up my hormagaunts. My broodlord with retinue infiltrated behind the left cement block of cover, leaving him between the center and left paths. He got the first turn.
This time I saw an advantage in cover. He moved his rhino down the center path with his dreadnaught behind. His bikes moved towards my rippers. Shooters stayed still. If my broodlord could charge the rhino and rend it real nice then he could leapfrog through combats and completely avoid shooting. However, after he got in a few mildly successful shots at my forces it was my turn. My hormagaunts failed synapse because they were slightly too far away but fell back towards the broodlord and rallied in a great position to support him. Unfortunately I was 1/4 of an inch shy on my broodlord's assault so he was left right out in the middle of the table. Rippers charged and killed the bikes, boo yah! However, next turn my broodlord obviously got shot up and he died along with his whole retinue. Similar results to the last game, my gaunts and hormagaunts run off the board, rippers managed to charge the firebase but only could kill a few, not enough for VPs. About 130 something VPs for me for the bikes. Massacre.
Another discouraging result. Damn space wolves. After we broke for lunch there was the final round. I needed a win to get a little dignity back.
ROUND 3:
I'm set up on a very similar board to round 1...except even less cover. Same river with bridge on the right side, same woods just outside of my DZ, but instead of a ridge on my left just open ground and some hills in my opponent's DZ. I was facing a Tau army and immediately everyone looked at my board in sympathy and let me know that I was going to get demolished and that this board was just perfect for tau in this situation. He deployed a line of pathfinders with rail rifles in the woods on the right of his DZ with commander and crisis suits just behind. On the left side of the board he had two firewarrior squads with a devilfish behind them, forming a firing line that spread across the whole board accept the right side where the river ended and the bridge began. I saw opprotunity. A small rock in my deployment zone was my only real problem though, if I deployed my hormagaunts on the left side of it they would be out of synapse range, but if I squeezed them between it and the woods to its right the hormies would be in a narrow formation and without cover. I opted for the latter and had my main line tight together. At the front of the woods was my genestealer and broodlord unit with gaunts just behind them. To the left was my narrow line of hormagaunts. On the far right side I deployed my rippers across the river like the first game. He got the first turn.
Turn 1 I started to take some heavy fire but now I knew my movement rules well and my army moved up fast. My rippers flew up to the bridge right near the crisis suits and pathfinders. My hormagaunts lost half of their number but made it into assault on TURN 1 with the pathfinders. Because of difficult terrain the broodlord and gaunts lagged behind a bit. Turn 2 my broodlord's retinue got wiped out again but he got enough distance to be considered engaged with the hormagaunts. The hormagaunts murdered the pathfinders, ran them down, and assaulted into the crisis suits. The rippers also assaulted into the crisis suits. Next turn my gaunts start getting shot up who are now headed towards the first firewarrior unit. They lose more than half but make it into assault. The broodlord, rippers, and hormagaunts quickly kill the commander and crisis suits and then join in the assault with the gaunts. The firewarriors and devilfish shoot at my broodlord who is the only model not considered engaged but they do nothing. The nid swarm tears through the firewarriors, assaults into the next unit, tears through them, assaults into the the devilfish and the broodlord makes short work of it. 1300+ VPs for me (bonus VPs for killing the general, having my general in their DZ, adding my surviving total to my VPs) Massacre.
So in conclusion it was a fun day. My first two games I got murdered by the space wolves as well as my own fault in rules interpretations. However I think I've got it down now and I'm glad I pulled away with a satisfying win in the end. Overall, the third space marine player won by dominating in all three of his games. Damn marines. Oh well, a fun time for my first tourney.
Oh yeah, post number 500
Next I'm working on painting all these nids I have together. Also I'm going to buy some more ogres soon because they are finally getting a big fantasy group together at my store so I can finally find a game! And of course another project, I want to start building the skorne that I have so I can get in on the Privateer Press craze that has taken everyone by storm. LOTS TO DO!
but for some reason it works IMO 
I`ve gotta start painting my own nids.. Keep up the good work! 
