Salamanders vs Tyranids in the Colosseum: two lightning-fast 500-point games
Salamanders vs Tyranids in the Colosseum: two lightning-fast 500-point games
Wednesday gave us one of those matchups that already sounds explosive before the first dice are rolled: burning Salamanders against blood-hungry Tyranids. And after looking at the Xenos roster and seeing Vanguard Onslaught, we could safely assume this would be a very fast game in one direction or the other.
The Tyranids had basically every tool you could want for a turn one sprint across the table — scout moves, movement tricks, advance, charge, the whole package. That meant the Salamanders had a pretty simple plan: deploy right at the edge of the board, stay as far away from the bugs as possible, bunch up the Infernus Marines with their Captain, and throw the Intercessors forward as a sacrificial screen. The hope was that overwatch from the Infernus squad would soften up the Genestealers with Broodlord enough that the line would survive the opening impact.
If you want to see the Tyranid list that was staring the Salamanders down, here it is:
Game one: caution from the swarm, fire from the Salamanders
As it turned out, the Tyranid commander played more cautiously than expected, clearly wary of getting his assault units roasted on the way in. The Salamanders also advanced carefully, but they managed to burn down the Leapers before the Genestealers could properly connect.
The key element of the whole game ended up being the Point Blank twist. It let units use all their ranged weapons in melee as if they had the Pistol keyword — and that changed everything. Even once the Salamanders got tied up in combat, they could still unleash pyreblasters from the Infernus squad and fire meltas from the Eradicators and the ATV right into the Tyranids at point-blank range.
That was the turning point. Once the bugs were stuck in, the Salamanders simply kept burning and melting them off the board. Around turn two to three, the Tyranid force was effectively gone.
And the final score? A brutal 83:6 in small points. In WTC terms, that is comfortably in 20:0 territory.
Immediate rematch: “okay, now let’s see the real Tyranid charge”
Because the first game only took about an hour and a half, the Tyranid commander предложed an immediate rematch on the same setup, just outside the Koloseum league standings. Honestly, that was too good an opportunity to pass up — this time we were going to see what a full-speed Tyranid charge really looked like.
And we definitely did.
This second game became the fastest match in the Salamanders general’s life: 45 minutes.
On one flank, Raveners smashed into the ATV like it was made of paper, reduced it to scrap, and then tied up the Eradicators. In the center, Genestealers supported by Leapers tore through the Intercessors and heavily thinned out the Infernus Marines. For a moment, it looked like a complete massacre.
But once again, Point Blank completely changed the texture of the game. The Infernus Marines were able to incinerate enemies from point-blank range, while the Eradicators answered by turning the Raveners into a wet stain with melta fire.
So yes — the rematch also went to the Salamanders. But unlike the first game, this one was much tighter and felt like it could have swung the other way if the firepower had failed at the wrong moment.
The photos from the rematch were taken by the opponent, and this time with flash — which honestly fits the chaos pretty well.
Koloseum finale still ahead
These games were part of the wider Koloseum context, and the last match of the event will decide who takes second place in the league. That final game will be another showdown with Aternn.
There is a fun bit of symmetry here: in the CP league, which was eventually won by the Salamanders player, the last game was also against Aternn. Back then there was some grumbling about terrain being set up however people wanted, while in Koloseum there is a fixed layout that gives both players the same chances regardless of placement. We are very curious how that rematch will play out — and if Aternn goes heavy into melee, then Point Blank will definitely be high on the priority list if the twist choice is ours.
For anyone who wants to check the event itself, here is the league page:
Bonus hobby note: the terrain
There was also a question about the terrain used for these games. The set is this one:
/https://fbi.cults3d.com/uploaders/40821516/illustration-file/ebf973f0-1de4-4fba-bef8-e2fc07fcc78d/1-Player-View.jpg)
We really like the idea behind this kind of fixed layout for small games. It keeps things fair, gets everyone playing on the same assumptions, and makes post-game comparisons much more meaningful.
Final thoughts
Two games, both absurdly fast, both decided by brutal close-range firepower, and both proving that Point Blank is exactly the kind of twist Salamanders want to see when the enemy plans to live in melee.
The first game was a controlled burn. The second was almost a disaster that turned into another win thanks to flamers and melta at kissing distance.
Honestly, that sounds very Salamanders to us.