Amid the howling gales and drizzling snow, Kyte and his stealth team silently stalk through the harsh winter landscape. “Gue’la spotted,” informed the Shas’ui team leader. Twenty clicks away Shas’el Tahoe, Commander of the Tau Shadow Cadre, sat in his Crisis Battle Suit, watching live feed from his recon team. Heat sensors showed five Gue’la up ahead sitting around a large heat source. Camera zooms in confirming five Grey Hunters around a campfire. Parabolic microphone honed in on their position, filtering out ambient noise, while tuning in on the Gue’la’s conversation. One Space Marine took a deep draft from a keg and passed it around to the others. Another started chanting and soon the rest joined in, singing gaily, completely unaware that they were being watched.
“Light them up,”Shas’el Tahoe ordered and then switching to another channel, “Sky Ray, your are go.” Tahoe watch his monitor as Kyte tagged the Gue’la with his markerlight. Outside of the Battle Suit cockpit, Tahoe heard two “fwoosh” as two Seeker Missiles took off, heading towards the marked position. A minute later, both Seekers appeared on the Recon’s visual feed, slamming down into the Space Marines. The Grey Hunters were enveloped in the explosion as a fireball erupted followed by a dark smoky mushroom cloud. Body parts, shrapnel, and dirt flew in all. One charred and battered survivor struggled to pull himself out of the burning crater with his one remaining arm. “Finish it” Tahoe voxed in and a moment later the stealth team unleashed a storm of pulse shots, mercilessly cutting down the Grey Hunter.
Shas’el Tahoe nodded to himself, satisfied by his teams’ quick and efficient work. Switching to his command channel, the Tau Commander issued his final order, "All forces attack!"
Played a 1500 points game between my Tau versus Beo’s 5th ed Space Wolves. I had just finished basing and washing all my models and was very eager to get game in. It’s been a while since I last fielded my Tau army and Beo was just getting back into Space Wolves.
Celebrating the new Space Wolves’ codex release and completion of a new snow themed table, the store I was playing at ran a special scenario. Mission was preset to “Seize the Ground” with a single objective while deployment was preset to “Spearhead”, table quarters. It was literally “king of the hill” using Games Workshop’s modular table to form a hill where the objective was a Space Wolves’ tomb perched on top. There was also a special in game rule, simulating the “Fine Fenrisian Weather”. To simulate a storm, both players would choose an infantry, walker, or monstrous creature model to represent Njal Stormcaller and at the beginning of their turn, roll for “Lord of Tempest”. No true line of sight is required and if the model representing Njal dies, the owning player simply chooses another existing model to represent his or her Njal.
Setting:
One side of the table was to look like winter forest. Snow covered trees surrounded a clearing, blasted with craters fresh from a recent bombardment.
On the other side of the table, a Space Wolves tomb sat perched on a hill. Hedge stone pillars, aged and worn from frequent storms, surrounded the sacred wolf tomb.
Two bronze Adeptus Astartes statues stood at the foot of the steps leading to a stone coffin.
Army Lists:
Space Wolves (Honour Guards):
-Rune Priest, Master of Runes, Terminator Armour, Living Lighting, Storm Caller -
Godi
-Lone Wolf, Terminator Armour, Mark of the Wolfen, 2 Fenrisian Wolves
-Venerable Dreadnought,
TL-Lascannon, Saga of the Majestic, Extra Armour
-6 Scouts, Meltagun, 2 Power Weapons, Mark of the Wulfen, Razorback,
TL-Lascannon (Imperial Armour Volume II)
-10 Grey Hunters, Power Fist, Mark of the Wulfen, Meltagun, Plasmagun, Wolf Banner, Rhino, Dozer Blades – Alpha Pack
-10 Grey Hunters, Power Fist, Mark of the Wulfen, Flamer, Plasmagun, Wolf Banner, Rhino, Dozer Blades – Beta Pack
-9 Sky Claws, Power Fist, Meltagun, Mark of the Wulfen
-13 Fenrisian Wolves, Cyber Wolf
Tau (Sac’cea Sept):
-Shas’
el, Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multi-tracker -
Shas'el Tahoe
-2 Crisis Suits, 2X Plasma Rifle, 2X Missile Pods, Multi-trackers
-3 Crisis Suits, 3X Plasma Rifles, 3X Multi-trackers
-5 Path Finders, Devilfish, Disruption Pod
-Piranha, Fusion Blaster, Targeting Array –
Piranha One
-Piranha, Fusion Blaster, Targeting Array –
Piranha Two
-12 Fire Warriors
-12 Fire Warriors, Devilfish, Disruption Pod
-10 Kroot
-Hammerhead, Railgun, Burst Cannons, Multi-tracker, Disruption Pod, Target Lock –
Hammerhead One
-Hammerhead, Railgun, Burst Cannons, Multi-tracker, Disruption Pod, Target Lock –
Hammerhead Two
-Broadside, Advance Stabilization System
Deployment:
Beo won the roll off to go first and chose the table quarter dominating the hill. He deployed his forces. His Rune Priest Godi, joined the Alpha Pack (Grey Hunters). They deploy outside of their Rhino positioned in the back of the Tomb. On the left, a pack of Fenrisian Wolves formed a line, obediently waited for their Master’s orders. A Sky Claw Assault pack stood behind the Fenrisian line, revving their jet packs for take off. The immense Venerable Dreadnought towered over the Wolves, standing on top of the hill, overlooking the fields below. A Rhino parked to the side of the Tomb carried Beta Pack (Grey Hunters) while the Lone Wolf and his two wolfish companions took cover behind the Rhino. Scouts stayed in reserves, driving in from a Razorback (Imperial Armour Volume II).
I deployed my own forces diagonal to my opponent’s table quarter. In the crater-ridden fields and evergreen trees, a Devilfish transporting Fire Warriors spearheaded the invasion. Flanking the Devilfish on both sides was Piranha One and Piranha Two. A squad of Fire Warriors took their positions in the bottom forest. Pathfinders infiltrated in the front most crater while their empty Devilfish parked near the Fire Warriors. Shas’
el Tahoe, attached to two Crisis Battle Suits formed a command squad and landed behind the Fire Warrior Devilfish. A Crisis Team formed up behind the Pathfinder Devilfish. A Broadside lumbered on in from the rear and two Hammerheads silently entered along the left flank. Kroots stays in reserves, circling around the Adeptus Astartes from off board.
My opponent chose his Rune Priest to represent his Njal for where his Lord of Tempest will resonate from.
I chose mine one of my Pathfinders to be the Tau Njal.
I fail to steal the Initiative. The game starts off with Space Wolves going first.
Turn 1 (Space Wolves):
Lord of Tempest: Calm before the Storm
Snow flakes down from the sky and winds grow stronger, but nothing else happens.
Fenrisian Wolves stalks forward, savoring the meal to come.
Venerable Dreadnought lumbers forth, finding a better firing position.
Rune Priest Godi and his Alpha Pack, follows closely behind the Fenrisian Wolves. Sky Claws move forward, intermingling with the wolves for cover.
Beta Pack Rhino shift gears and drives forward at full speed.
Lone Wolf and his two companions trail behind.
Venerable Dreadnought locks onto the Pathfinder Devilfish. A bright beam cuts into the air, lancing straight towards the Pathfinder Devilfish, but disruption pods distorts visual and magnetic spectrum and the Las Beam hits the Devilfish’ after image.
Rune Priest Godi commands the lord of lightning to do his bidding. Streaks of electric bolts surges from the sky towards the Devilfish, but the Tau skimmer is unscathed by nature’s wrath. Godi then uses storm caller, cloaking himself and nearby units with a defense vortex.
Beta Packs Rhino launches a screen of smoke.
Lone Wolf and the Fenrisian Wolves pack struggle through the thick snow and only manage to run one inch.
Turn 1 (Tau):
Lord Tempest: Calm before the Storm. A light blizzard covers the battlefield as strong winds and heavy down pour of Snow washes landscape, forecasting a mother of all storms is approaching.
Piranha One skims vectors toward the left flank and hovers in one of the craters. Piranha Two speeds off to the right, intercepting Beta Pack Rhino.
Hammerhead One slightly drifts left while Hammerhead Two increase its thrust and sails forth.
Crisis Team fires up their jet packs and jumps towards Beta Pack Rhino while the Shas’
el Tahoe and his Command Squad hops towards the middle of the board.
Pathfinders lights up the Fenrisian Wolves pack, scoring two markerlight hits.
Piranha Two strafes Beta Pack Rhino, but a sudden strong gust throws the light skimmer’s aim off, causing the fusion blaster shot missing its target.
Piranha One’s onboard Gun Drones and Fusion Blaster pelts the Fenrisian Wolves, slaying two.
Fire Warriors receives the data imputed by the Pathfinders’ marker hits. They level their pulse rifles, shooting at Fenrisian Wolves with precision (+1
BS and -1 cover). Four pulse shots hits dead on and four Wolves drops dead.
Fire Warrior Devilfish blazes away at the Wolves with Burst shots and Gun Drone pulse rounds, killing one Fenrisian wolf.
Pathfinder Devilfish riddles Fenrisian Wolves with pulse bursts, killing one.
Broadside locks onto the Venerable Dreadnought. Its Railgun supercharges a solid projectile, rotating it at a high velocity. The Solid Projectile flies out of the electric barrel, lancing straight towards the Venerable Dreadnought. But a marginal error in the Broadside’s calculation sends the projectile crashing into an intervening hedge stone.
Command Squad’s advance multi-trackers locks onto they Sky Claws. Plasma and missiles pulverizes three Sky Claws.
Crisis Team hails the smoke concealed Beta Pack Rhino with a barrage of missiles and plasma. One hits, penetrates, and wrecks the transport. Beta Pack piles out, ready to continue their trek on foot.
Hammerhead One fires its Railgun at the Venerable Dreadnought, but the Dread ducks at the last minute and the solid projectile flies off harmlessly into the distance.
Hammerhead Two switches to Submunition rounds and fires at a cluster of Fenrisian Wolves, and Grey Hunters.
But the proximity fuse deviates off, pre-detonating, and only a single Sky Claw is caught in the blast.
Shrapnel rips into the Sky Claw as tiny fragments penetrate the ancient power armor, cutting deep through the epidermis skin, and lacerating internal organs. Sky Claw drops dead as blood oozes out from all multiple pores along the surface of his armor.
The remaining Sky Claws shrugs off their loses and continues to fight on.
Fenrisian Wolves pass their moral test, but are pinned down by heavy fire from the constant stream of Gun Drone pulse shots.
Turn 2 (Space Wolves):
Lord of Tempest: “Driving Gale” A sudden strong and violent gust of wind sweeps across the Tau forces. Both Piranhas and Devilfishes accuracy is reduced. Pathfinders and the Crisis Team struggle to keep their weapons steady. (-1 Ballistic Skill).
Wolves Scouts are delayed by weather and do not come in.
Sky Claws fire up their jet packs and leaps forward, landing in front of the Fire Warrior Devilfish.
Beta Pack slogs through the snow towards the Crisis Team and Tau Piranha.
Lone Wolf slogs forward.
Rune Priest and Alpha Pack gets behind the pinned Fenrisian Wolves pack. Alpha Pack’s empty Rhino pulls back, parking next to a Hedge Stone.
Beta Pack fires everything they got at the nearby Crisis Team. A torrent of bolters and plasma riddles the Crisis Battle Suits, instantly killing two and severely wounding one.
Fortunately the lone survivor passes moral and continues the fight for the greater good.
Alpha Pack fires their own a Plasmagun at Piranha One, but the gun overheats and the Grey Hunter struggles to cool down his unstable weapon before it explodes. He succeeds. Rune Priest Godi invokes the lord of thunder and lighting crashes down from the heavens on top of the Tau skimmer. Rocks and shards are uplifted and sucked into the skimmer’s engine vents. The Jet fans are ripped apart and Piranha One becomes immobile.
Venerable Dreadnought switches targets and locks onto Hammerhead One. Its Lascannon sears through the sky but the energy beam dissipates off the Hammerhead’s heavily armored hull.
Sky Claws assaults the Fire Warrior Devilfish, a series of Krak Grenades, Wulfen Rending Claws, and power punches inflict one glance and one penetration, stunning and immobilizing the Tau transport.
Turn 2 (Tau):
Lord of Tempest: “Howling Cyclone”. The skies darken and winds accelerate as a cyclone races across the battlefield. (Enemy models within 18” Njal Pathfinder must take a moral test at the end of the assault phase).
Kroot makes a surprise appearance, outflanking from the right flank.
Fire Warriors disembarked from their immobilized Devilfish and retreats, putting as much distance between them and the Sky Claws.
Hammerhead One maneuvers left while Hammerhead two creeps forward, parking behind the disembarked Fire Warrior team.
Command Squad and the lone Crisis Suit hops towards Beta Pack.
Piranha Two hits the after burners and guns straight towards the tomb, getting a clear shot at the Venerable Dreadnought.
Disembarked Fire Warriors (effected by Driving Gale) fires rapidly into the Sky Claws pack, killing one.
Shas’
el Tahoe and his command squad shoot everything they got into Beta Pack, slaying two.
Lone Crisis Suit also fires at Beta Pack, but misses (effected by Driving Gale).
Hammerhead One lays a torrent of Burst Cannon shots at the Sky Claws while firing a Submunition round from its Railgun at Alpha Pack. Burst Cannons shreds one Sky Claw into a bloody pulp while the Submunition Round explodes right on top, harming none of the Grey Hunters, but killing two Fenrisian Wolves.
Hammerhead Two strafes the Sky Claws with its Burst Cannons and fires a Submunition round at Beta Pack. The large blast detonates on top of the second Grey Hunter unit, but the metal storm harmlessly ricochets off their tough adamant power suits.
Pathfinder Devilfish peppers Beta Pack with its weapon systems, killing one.
Fire Warrior in the forest unleashes a hail of pulse shots at the pinned Fenrisian Wolves, wiping out the entire wolf pack.
Piranha Two fires its Fusion Blaster at the Dreadnought, but misses.
Piranha One strafes the Sky Claws, but fails to hit or wound.
Broadside fires its Railguns at the Venerable Dreadnought. Solid Projectile hits, only stuns the huge walker.
Kroots race toward the tomb, running 3”.
Beta Pack loses their nerves from the deaths of three brethren and flees back towards the tomb.
Both Lone Crisis Suit and Command Team jumps back.
Howling Cyclone races across the battlefield, hitting Alpha Pack and Sky Claws.
Godi, master of storms, and his command squad ride out the whirling twister.
Howling Cyclone sucks up the Sky Claws, picking them up, and dropping them back thirteen inches (they failed their moral test from Howling Cyclone and flee)
Turn 3 (Space Wolves):
Lord of Tempest: “Vengeful Tornado” Another Tornado follows the Howling Cyclone, this time ripping into the Tau force.
Sky Claws, dizzied by their sudden drop off, pick regroups and moves forward.
Grey Hunters on the other hand are within 6” of Piranha Two and continues fleeing.
Godi and his Grey Hunters retreats back towards the Tomb.
Venerable Dreadnought lumbers back, stopping in front of Alpha Pack’s empty Rhino.
Lone Wolf spots the oncoming Kroots and goes after them.
A fleeing Grey Hunter from Beta Pack provides cover fire for his pack, firing a Plasma Gun at the encroaching Tau Piranha. A bolt of energy cuts into the skimmer’s light armor. Piranha Two explodes, sending metal scraps and Tau body parts flying in all directions. Shrapnel from the explosion flies into one of the nearby Grey Hunters from Beta Pack, lodging deeply in back of his skull, kills him instantly. Both Piranha’s Gun Drones becomes active and survives the explosion.
Rune Priest attempts to use Living Lightning on the Gun Drones, but he short fuses and nothing happens (he rolled 11 on his psychic test). Furious by his dismal failure, he attempts to conceal his forces by using Storm Caller, but psychic energy bounces back and he loses one wound (got Perils of the Warp from rolling snake eyes). Alpha Pack breaks out laughing at their leader’s dismal failure and finishes off the Gun Drones in a blaze of bolter fire.
Sky Claws, still dizzy by the Howling Cyclone, runs one inch.
Lone Wolf fires a few bolt rounds at the Kroots, but kills none.
Stunned Venerable Dreadnought pops smoke.
Vengeful Tornado (Str9 D3 to side armor) smashes into the Pathfinder Devilfish, but only shakes it.
Turn 3 (Tau):
Lord of Tempest: “Chain Lightening”. Lightning flashes across the stormy sky and multiple bolts dances wildly around the Space Wolves forces.
Pathfinder Njal and his team embark into their Devilfish. Devilfish speeds off, parking in front of the wolves’ tomb.
Hammerhead One slides forward.
Hammerhead Two thrusters reaches maximum output and the heavy skimmer glides forward, landing in a crater,
Fire Warrior Devilfish releases its Drones, commanding them to move forward.
Broadside stomps forward.
Both Command Squad and Lone Crisis Battle Suit leap forward, gaining new ground.
Kroots closes in on the Lone Wolf.
Left Hammerhead lays a steady stream of fire on the Sky Claws while its Railgun shoots at the Venerable Dreadnought. Burst Cannons gunned down a Sky Claw armed with a Power Fist and the Dreadnought is unharmed due to smoke. Only one Sky Claw remains.
Hammerhead Two also fires at the Dreadnought, but misses.
Fire Warrior Devilfish fires a burst at the Grey Hunters, but fail to wound.
Fire Warriors in the forest fire takes pot shots at Beta Pack, picking off a regular Grey Hunter and a Grey Hunter with a Power Fist.
Disembarked Fire Warriors fires a salvo at Rune Priest Godi and Alpha Pack, dropping three Grey Hunters.
Immobilized Piranha blasts one Sky Claw to smithereens.
Broadside, unable to see the Venerable Dreadnought, switches targets and fires its Railgun at the Lone Wolf. A linear projectile slams into a Fenrisian Wolf, flattening it into a wolf pancake.
Kroots Lone wolf with their charged pulse rounds, slaying the second Fenrisian Wolf and wounding the Lone Wolf twice, but he Lone Wolf I immune to pain (makes two
FNP saves!)
Command Squad and lone Crisis Suit unleash a barrage of plasma and missiles at Alpha Pack. One Grey Hunter Plasma Gunner perishes.
Chain Lightning explodes all around the Space Wolves’ stronghold as super charged bolts flies everywhere, zapping Beta Pack’s meltagunner, Alpha Pack’s regular and flamer, stunning the empty Rhino and shaking the Venerable Dreadnought.
Both Command Squad and lone Crisis Suit continue flying forward.
The last Sky Claw, realizing everyone dies but him, panics and flees back, jumping behind the forest.
Turn 4 (Space Wolves):
Lord of Tempest: “Vengeful Tornado” The storm rages on and another tornado appears, ravaging the Tau forces.
Scouts finally shows up in their Razorback. The Razorback driver sees Fire Warriors stationed in the forest and a light bulb goes off in his head. He hits the gas and attempts to run down the Fire Warriors, but his recklessness ends up getting the best of him. The Razorback slams into the forest at break neck speeds. Tree stumps and dead logs concealed hidden under the snow sears the Razorback’s treads, immobilizing the Space Wolves transport. Scouts curse their Driver and piles out, promising retribution after this battle is over.
The lone Sky Claw gathers his courage and rallies.
Beta Pack, now within 6” of the Pathfinder Devilfish, continues falling back.
Godi and Alpha Pack head towards the Devilfish.
The lone Sky Claw fires his jump pack and sails through the air, slamming down near Tau Gun Drones.
Lone Wolf rushes toward the Kroots.
Rune Priest Godi invokes the lord of lighting, summoning electric bolts on the Pathfinder Devilfish. One bolt hits the Devilfish and an electric spark destroys onboard components, disabling all systems. Pathfinder Devilfish goes silent and crashes down, wrecked. Rune Priest, satisfied that he finally destroyed something, conceals his force using Storm Caller.
Pathfinders pulls the emergency door latch, releasing rear locks. They forcefully lower the ramp and disembark from the rear. Gun Drones goes online and disembarks in the front.
Beta Pack opens up with their bolters, wiping out the Gun Drones.
Razorback locks onto the side of Hammerhead Two and fires. Las beam hits, but fails to glance or penetrate as the force harmlessly dissipates against the heavy armor.
Lone Wolf fires a few bolter shots while charging, popping one Kroot.
Wolf Scouts empties their clip at the close by Fire Warriors, but still dazed by their driver’s reckless driving, only drops one Fire Warrior.
Vengeful Tornado smashes into Shas’
el Tahoe and his Command Squad, but the they ride out the storm and come out alive, battered but unscathed.
Sky Claw leaps on the Drones and slices them to pieces.
Lone Wolf charges into the Kroots and despite hitting five, loses his footing in the snow and instead grazes them (that’s right, nothing 5 but 2’s or 1’s when Beo rolled to wound!) Kroot lash back, but there are unable to hurt the lone Terminator.
Turn 4 (Tau):
Lord of Tempest: Vengeful Tornado.
Hammerhead One clears a blast crater and continues vectoring forward.
Hammerhead Two engines malfunctioned as it attempts lifting out of a crater. Its circuits short fuses and the engines don’t respond, leaving the heavy tank immobilized (fail dangerous terrain test for leaving the crater).
Both Command Squad and Lone Crisis Suit Crisis Team continue advancing towards the tomb.
Disembark Fire Warriors vision field is blocked by the Tau heavy vehicles and they move right, ready to back the other Fire Warrior team against the enemy scouts.
Fire Warriors in the forest gets the hell out, putting as much distance between them and the scouts.
Broadside also moves, ready to engage the newly arrive Razorback.
Pathfinders lights up the Razorback with three markerlight hits.
Piranha One strafes the lone Sky Claw, but whiffs.
Fire Warrior Devilfish also shoots at the Sky Claw, but also fails to hit or wound. Finally Hammerhead Two guns down the lone Sky Claw with a volley from its dual Burst Cannons, but its Railgun misses the Venerable Dreadnought.
Hammerhead One is luckier, scoring a hit, and immobilizing the Venerable Dreadnought.
Shas’
el Tahoe and his Command Squad unleash a storm of plasma and missile on Rune Priest Godi and his two remaining Grey Hunters from Alpha Pack. Missiles squash the Rune Priest and Plasma incinerates one Grey Hunter, leaving a lone Grey Hunter holding the Wolf Banner as the remaining member of the command squad.
With a strong will, the lone Grey Hunter fights on.
Broadside knocks out the Razorback’s
TL-Lascannon.
Disembarked Fire Warriors dash through the snow. Fire Warriors riddles the Wolf Scouts with their pulse rifles set to full auto. A wave of pulse beams slams into the Scouts, withering away three of their numbers.
Scouts relentlessly fight on despite their casualties.
Vengeful Tornado rolls through the assault between the Lone Wolf and Kroots. Kroots instinctively grabs hold of anything nearby while the Lone Wolf takes the full blunt of the destructive force. But his tough terminator armor protects and he doesn’t feel any blunt impacts.
As the twister passes on, the Lone Wolf swings mighty fists and pulverizes two Kroots into a bloody pile of flattened bones and meat. Kroots attack back and one brings down his bladed rifle down on the Terminator’s foot, inflicting a wound that cannot be ignored. The Lone Wolf howls in agony and menace. Kroots are taken back by the Wolf’s
raw ferocity and flees back ten inches.
Lone Wolf is wounded and doesn’t give chase, but instead limps back towards the Tomb.
Command Squad and lone Crisis Suit rendezvous with the Pathfinders and take cover behind the wrecked Devilfish.
Turn 5 (Space Wolves):
Banner becomes the new Njal.
Lord of Tempest: “Chain Lightning.” The Storm continues and more lightning blasts the landscape, zapping the Tau forces.
Beta Pack rallies and hops into the conveniently close and empty Alpha Pack Rhino.
Banner moves to intercept the Tau command squad.
Rhino backs out, shift its gear forward, drives forward, and parks near the tomb.
Scouts easily moves through cover and reaches the Fire Warriors.
Lone Wolf spots the nearby lone Crisis Suit and sneaks forward.
Venerable Dreadnought attempts to knock Hammerhead One out of the air, fires his Lascannon, but fails to harm the heavy Tau skimmer…. again.
A Wolf Scout fires his meltagun into the Fire Warriors, turning one of them into a steaming pile of fried fish.
Alpha Pack Rhino pops smoke screen.
Lone Alpha Grey Hunter fires at the Tau Command Squad, but resilient Crisis battle armor deflects the bolter rounds.
Chain Lightning shocks the Tau forces, frying two Pathfinders. Lone Crisis Suit and Command Squad have built in shock resistance and their suit protects.
Lone Wolf Terminator leaps on the unsuspecting Lone Crisis Suit
crushing it and running back, taking cover behind Beta Pack’s wrecked Rhino and conveniently within 6” of my fleeing Kroot.
Scouts charges into the Fire Warriors
slaying four, but losing their meltgunner as one Fire Warrior sneaks up behind one of the scouts and slits his throat. The remaining Fire Warriors attempts to flee, but are no match to the Scout’s swiftness. Wolf Scouts leaves none alive, massacring the rest, and then retreats back into the forest.
Turn 5 (Tau):
Lord of Tempest: “Vengeful Tornado”.
Kroots tries to rally, but the Lone Wolf is still close by and they continue running back 6”, getting dangerously close to the edge of the table.
Fire Warriors and Broadside converge on scouts.
Hammerhead One flies forward.
Piranha One ejects its drones and the Gun Drones floats foward.
Pathfinders climbs the hill, getting a decent fire position on the lone Grey Hunter.
Command Squad leaps on top of the wreckage of Pathfinder Devilfish, unhurt (pass dangerous terrain test).
Pathfinders picks off the last Grey Hunter from Alpha Pack.
Hammerhead One hones in onto the crew compartment of Alpha Pack Rhino unleashes a ultra-velocity solid rail shot. Hurling great distances, the projectile punches one side of the armor and goes right through, exiting the side of the Rhino. It passed through at such great speeds, sucking out the equipment and crew and leaving nothing left but a bloody stain. Beta Pack disembarks from the wreckage.
Command Squad spies the Lone Wolf and finish him off.
Fire Warriors mopes up the remaining Wolf Scouts with overwhelming volume of pulse shots.
Broadside knocks out the Venerable Dreadnought’s Lascannon.
Hammerhead Two returns fire, blowing away the Razorback.
Vengeful Tornado engulfs Beta Pack, crushing one Grey Hunter, and throwing the rest back (Vengeful Tornado killed one and they failed their moral test and ran.)
Command Squad safely leaps off the wreckage and secures the Space Wolves tomb.
We roll to see if the game continues and it does.
Turn 6 (Space Wolves):
Venerable Dreadnought is appointed the new Njal.
Lord of Tempest: “Chain Lightning”. The wrath of the storm continues and lighting grounds itself into the hell. Surges of charged bolts continues its onslaught on the Tau forces.
Grey Hunter rally and races back towards the tomb.
(disregard the fallen Space Wolves model on the tomb)
Grey Hunters run one inch.
Chain Lightning zaps the command squad and slams into Hammerhead One, incinerating a Crisis Battle Suit and crippling Hammerhead One’s Railgun and Engines.
Turn 6 (Tau):
Lord of Tempest: “Chain Lighting”. And the mother of storm continues!
Kroot fails to rally and continue fleeing off the table.
Pathfinders honed in on the Beta Pack. Command Squad leaped towards Grey Hunters, bent on finishing them off.
Gun Drones moves closer.
Command Squad picks off one Grey Hunter from Beta Pack.
Broadside and Hammerhead Two fails to hurt the Venerable Dreadnought.
Chain Lightning rocks the Venerable Dreadnought, shaking and stunning it.
Command Squad hops backwards.
We rolled for game continuation and the got a 5. The game continues!
Turn 7 (Space Wolves):
Unfortunately at this point, Beo decided to throw in the towel and call it quits. Even though he still had a slim chance of drawing, he didn’t want to go on. His dice rolls were awful and I had a good chance of pulling a victory by wipe out (which is extremely rare for a Tau army).
Aftermath pictures:
Outcome: Victory for the Tau!
Peace descended upon the battlefield, the eye of the storm. A hole in the sky opens up, surrounded by massive ring of swirling winds, thunder, and snow. Calm winds and sunlight seeps in, revealing the aftermath of the two forces grueling death match. Bodies and vehicle wrecks littered the battlefield. In the end, the greater good triumphed and the battered remaining Tau forces relaxed, savoring their sweet taste of victory before the eye of the storm looks on.
Shas’el Tahoe walks pass the two bronze statues and climbs up the step leading to the tomb. Already his Pathfinder team and remaining Crisis Suit from his command squad had secured the grave, waiting for their Commander’s presence before they proceed. “Open it,” ordered Tahoe. Crisis Suit grabbs hold of the coffin’s lid from both sides and heaves it open. Encased inside wasn't a corpse or dead Space Wolves hero, but a black box with a cog seal on top. Tahoe gently picked up the black box, aware that what he was holding was a treasure like no other. Within the black box was a fragment of “STC” vast knowledge of lost Gue’la technology dating back to the time, which the Gue’la referred to as the “Dark Age of Technology”. “Knowledge of power that will defeat our enemies and serve the greater good,” thought Shas'el Tahoe.
2500pts 