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An Unlikely Alliance - Orks & Eldar vs Tau - 2000pts

INTRODUCTION
As if I wasn't lucky enough to be spending 4 weeks in Oz on holiday, Da Boss had seen fit to allow me to bring Da Dark Angelz (Orks) with me so that I could play my brother (slice'n'dice) and his mate. With my brother's 'Nidz still on the way, he brought his old Eldar, and with both of us unable to field a mass of points it fell to the Tau to silence this unlikely alliance....

FORCES

Arakasi's Da Dark Angelz (Orks)
[HQ] Morgrim "Da Lion" Grimork (Da Warboss): Mega Armour (Power Klaw, Twin Linked Shoota, Stikkbombs), Cybork Body (110pts)
[HQ] Skarag Mekslag (Da Big Mek): Burna, Kustom Force Field, Mek's Tools (105pts)
[TR] Grimskab Badwort (Da Painboy): 'Urty Syringe, Dok's Tools, Cybork Body and Da Inna Circul (5 Nobz): 2 Power Klaws, Big Choppa, 2 Choppas, 4 Sluggas, Twin Linked Shoota, 5 'Eavy Armour, Bosspole, Cybork Bodies in a Trukk: Big Shoota, Boarding Plank, Red Paint Job, Reinforced Ram (320pts)
[TR] Da Warboss' Taktikal Boyz - 10 Shootas including Big Shoota and Nob: Power Klaw, Slugga, Bosspole in a Trukk: Big Shoota, Boarding Plank, Red Paint Job, Reinforced Ram (155pts)
[TR] Skarag's Taktikal Boyz - 11 Shootas including Rokkit Launcha and Nob: Power Klaw, Slugga, Bosspole in a Trukk: Big Shoota, Boarding Plank, Red Paint Job, Reinforced Ram (166pts)
[FA] Rav'nwing I - Deffkopta with Twin Linked Rocket Launchas and Buzzsaw (70pts)
[FA] Rav'nwing II - Deffkopta with Twin Linked Rocket Launchas and Buzzsaw (70pts)
TOTAL: 996pts

slice'n'dice's Eldar
[HQ] Farseer, Guide
[EL] 5 Howling Banshees plus Exarch with Warshout (in Falcon)
[TR] 13 Guardians with Scatter Laser
[TR] 13 Guardians with Scatter Laser
[FA] 4 Swooping Hawks plus Exarch with Intercept and Sky Leap
[HS] Falcon with Holo-Field, Missile Launcher and Pulse Laser
[HS] 2 War Walkers with dual Scatter Lasers
[HS] Wraithlord with dual Flamers, Wraithsword and Missile Launcher
TOTAL: 998pts

Tau
[HQ] Commander with Airbursting Fragmentation Projector, Missile Pod, Shield Generator and Hard-wired Multi-Tracker
[EL] Crisis Battlesuit with Missile Pod, Fusion Blaster, Shield Generator and Hard-wired Multi-Tracker
[EL] 2 Crisis Battlesuits with Missile Pods, Plasma Rifles, Target Lock and Hard-wired Multi-Tracker
[EL] 5 Stealthsuits, Target Locks, 2 Fusion Blasters
[TR] 8 Fire Warriors, Leader with Bonding Knife
[TR] 8 Fire Warriors, Leader with Bonding Knife
[TR] 8 Fire Warriors with Pulse Carbines and Devilfish with Targeting Array, Multi-Tracker and Disruption Pod
[FA] 6 Pathfinders with Devilfish with Targeting Array, Multi-Tracker and Disruption Pod
[FA] 2 Piranhas with Target Lock, Seeker Missiles, Disruption Pods and Fusion Blasters
[FA] 10 Stingwings
[HS] Hammerhead with Rail Gun, Smart Missiles, Disruption Pod and Seeker Missiles
[HS] Skyray with Smart Missiles, Target Lock, Multi-Tracker and Disruption Pod
[HS] 2 Broadsides with Advanced Stabilisers, Leader, 2 Shield Drones and Bonding Knife

MISSION: Annihilation
DEPLOYMENT: Spearhead

PRELUDE

Tau choose to deploy first as above, placing the Fire Warriors in the Devilfish and Piranhas in Reserve, whilst the single Crisis Suit, Stealthsuits and Stingwings would be Deepstriking.


In response, the Ork Trukks set up as close as possible to the main Tau force whilst the Deffkoptas took to the other side of the field eyeing the only Tau vehicle that might be in Turn 1 reach. The Eldar setup behind the Ork lines, keeping a unit of Guardians in Reserve, and Deepstriking the Swooping Hawks. Finally, the Ork Deffkoptas Scouted up closer to the Tau Pathfinders' Devilfish and Crisis Battlesuits...

The Orks, slightly distracted by the appearance of Eldar behind their lines, failed to seize the initiative.

TURN 1

Limited movement and some range issues sees only one Deffkopta put down.


The Eldar Farseer casts Guide on the War Walkers. The Ork and Eldar forces move forward, the remaining Deffkopta preparing to tackle the Pathfinders' Devilfish whilst the Nobz, sensing the forward Fire Warriors may have been deployed a little too close, disembark. The War Walkers chew through the rear unit of Fire Warriors.

Taktikal Note: I only discovered this missing unit of Fire Warriors later whilst writing this up - so it isn't reflected in the KP totals until the very end. Actually, we were having some difficulty keeping track of Drone units - so the end KP may be slightly off anyway...


Difficult terrain fails to stop the Nobz assault - yes, the Fire Warriors were deployed a little too close!


And the inevitable conclusion plays out, the Nobz consolidating into cover as the remaining Fire Warriors retreat. Meanwhile, the lone Deffkopta manages to shake and immobilise the Pathfinders' Devilfish.

TURN 2

Almost all of the Tau reserves decide to show up (minus the single Crisis Suit) - and all to face off against the Eldar in the rear - except for the Piranhas, which target the surviving Deffkopta.


The Fire Warriors rally and valiantly place themselves in front of the rampaging Nobz, whilst other units make a tactical retreat. Massed fire power, including 5 Seeker Missiles, sees only one Nob dead and one wounded after Armour, Cover and Invulnerable Saves as well as FNP. (Three Seeker Missiles failed to wound, one was stopped by Cover!). Elsewhere, the Piranhas took care of the Deffkopta, and the Big Mek's Trukk was immobilised.


The Eldar were not so lucky - their entire Guardian squad and Farseer being gunned down by the Tau reserve forces (The Farseer failing all invulnerable saves...)


The Swooping Hawks, attempting to Deep Strike behind the Pathfinders, Mishap, and end up in Difficult Terrain behind the Ork Trukks, losing a member, but not before dropping their grenades on the Stingwings - and then head back up into the skies. The rest of the Orks and Eldar advance, except the Banshee's Falcon, which retreats to strengthen the Eldar lines. The empty Nobz Trukk Tank Shocks the rallied Fire Warriors, putting them into retreat once again, whilst the Nobz advance on the Battle Suits. A Waaagh! is called, so that the Nobz can run closer to the Battle Suits. The Big Mek fixes his Trukk, ready for next turn. Assault sees the Battle Suits wiped out by the Nobz for no losses, and they consolidate towards the Pathfinders.


Eldar shooting sees all bar one Stingwing disappear under the dual Flamers of the Wraithlord, but he holds.

TURN 3
The Tau back off some more from the encroaching Orks. Without the protection of the KFF, the Tau manage to destroy the empty Nobz Trukk and wreck the Warboss' Trukk. Fire into the Warboss' mob sees him take a wound. The Tau reserves move in on the Eldar, and their fire power downs the Wraithlord.


The Eldar Guardian reserves arrive and the Swooping Hawks once again drop down. Meanwhile, the Banshees' Falcon advances, but in the heat of battle, a mistake is made - the Banshees disembark, but are unable to assault!


The Ork Warboss splits off from his mob and goes after the Skyray whilst his boyz head towards the remaining Tau lines. The Nobz prepare to do what Nobz do best to the Pathfinders, whilst the Big Mek's Trukk, now mobile again, moves rapidly to cut off the Tau retreat and mobility.


The Warboss' boyz manage to wound the Tau Commander with shooting, whilst the Warboss assaults the Skyray, stunning it, and the Nobz clean up the Pathfinders for another wound.


The Eldar took down three Stealth Suits, a Piranha, and shook the other.

TURN 4
The last Crisis Suit Deep Strikes down mid field whilst the Tau reserves shuffle some more, facing off the remaining Eldar - the shaken Piranha moving flat out behind the tower. The Tau Commander joins the Crisis Suits, shielded by the Hammerhead, as the Tau start running out of room to run. Shooting sees the Banshees decimated, two Swooping Hawks killed, three War Walker Scatter Lasers destroyed and the Big Mek Trukk wrecked. Assault sees the Warboss put the Skyray out of its misery.


The remaining Eldar and Ork forces continue to chase down the remaining Tau. The Warboss' boyz change direction and chase after the recently appearing Crisis Suit. The Nobz chase after the retreating Fire Warriors (that they beat up first turn!) The Big Mek and boyz prepare to multi-assult the Hammerhead and immobilised Devilfish. Eldar shooting sees two more Stealth Suits and the last Stingwing succumb, while Ork shooting manages to put a wound on the single Crisis Suit.


The Big Mek boyz assault results in the destruction of both the immobilised Pathfinder Devilsfish and the Hammerhead, whilst the Nobz finish the job they started in turn one and consolidate towards the Tau Commander and Crisis Suits.



TURN 5

What is left of the Tau force moves in for the kill...


The Tau Commander and Crisis Suits put down the Painboy, another Nob succumbs to a braining as the Bosspole Nob keeps order.


Whilst the other forces shoot down the Swooping Hawks.


The remaining Orks and Eldar continue to close in...


Shooting sees the eradication of the Stealth Suits and the single Crisis Suits, whilst the remaining Nobz clean up the Tau Commander and Crisis Suits in assault.

VICTORY: ORKS & ELDAR
The Tau declared defeat, otherwise turn 6 would have been played.

AFTERMATH

Da Dark Angelz (Orks)
Pretty much went to plan, including some good luck with the KFF and Nobz early on - who continue to rampage wherever they like and just don't want to go down! (Rectified in a later battle...). Given the relative difference in speed between the Ork and Eldar forces, I'm just glad I didn't bare the brunt of 2000pts of Tau fire power in the first turn or two - as I think the Tau could have easily cleaned up my Orks and then concentrated on the slower moving Eldar - rather than splitting their forces and attacking each force separately. The Tau did seem to be faring better against the Eldar though...

Report Card:
Morgrim "Da Lion" Grimork (Da Warboss): Killed the Skyray but was effectively out of the battle after that. C
Skarag Mekslag (Da Big Mek): KFF working overtime as usual, as well as un-immobilising his Trukk and putting down a Devilfish. A
Grimskab Badwort (Da Painboy) and Da Inna Circul (5 Nobz) in a Trukk: Fire Warriors (twice!), Broadsides, Pathfinders, Commander and Crisis Suits and survived a lot of fire power to boot - the Ork MVP! A+
Da Warboss' Taktikal Boyz in a Trukk: Wounded the Tau Commander, Killed a Crisis Suit - all by shooting! C+
Skarag's Taktikal Boyz in a Trukk: Nob put down the Hammerhead: B
Rav'nwing I: Diverted fire from Trukks. C
Rav'nwing II: Diverted fire from Trukks. Immobilised the Pathfinders' Devilfish. C+

Hope you enjoyed! Any comments/criticisms - let me know! Still have four more battle reports from Oz to write up...

Looking good, the Dark Angelz seem to be on a roll!

Nicely done, I had a little chuckle at the models, it's a good idea, something a little different

Good win for Da Orks!... And of course the Eldar

Nice report, I love the labels you put on the maps and models ot keep track of them.

Great battle report... nice to see Da Dark Angelz on the move again!

:-)

I loved the graphics added to the pictures. made it much easier to follow.

Awesome battle report!

I had a quick question on the rules though. I'm mostly a modeler myself, but I want to figure the rules out still...

You said "Three Seeker Missiles failed to wound, one was stopped by Cover!" Does this mean some of your units rolled an Armor save and separately one rolled a Cover save? Or did they all roll Armor and Cover saves?? I thought I understood it that in 5ed you could only ever choose and armor OR cover save, not both? (Even though that's not really how it works in real life..) Could you enlighten me?

You understood correctly, they only rolled one save - in this case, the Nobz just rolled Cover Saves.

They are a complex unit - 4+ armour, 5++ cybork invulnerable, 4+ FNP sitting in 4++ cover. The seeker missiles ignored the 4+ armour and 4+ FNP, and 4++ is better than 5++ - hope that made sense!

Arakasi wrote:You understood correctly, they only rolled one save - in this case, the Nobz just rolled Cover Saves.

They are a complex unit - 4+ armour, 5++ cybork invulnerable, 4+ FNP sitting in 4++ cover. The seeker missiles ignored the 4+ armour and 4+ FNP, and 4++ is better than 5++ - hope that made sense!

Yeah ok, cool. I thought so, I just was hoping I was wrong. Making cover useless for anyone with good armor seems a bit unrealistic and therefor undesirable.. Just because a Terminator's armor is better than the cover save he gets from standing partially behind a wall doesn't make the wall disappear. The bullets being shot at him should still have a chance to hit the cover.... But your forum isn't the place for my rantings. Thanks for letting me check my knowledge against yours.

I think that was an effort to simplify things and speed play. Your point makes perfect sense from a logical standpoint... I suspect it has more to do with game mechanics than logic though.

Gitsplitta wrote:I think that was an effort to simplify things and speed play. Your point makes perfect sense from a logical standpoint... I suspect it has more to do with game mechanics than logic though.

You're right. It certainly does speed up play. But since I personally enjoy making terrain so much, it's disappointing to know the game mechanics make it semi irrelevant as anything other than a way of effecting movement/line of sight.

Also, I really like your gallery Gitsplitta! Specifically the Mantis Warriors SM in the tall grass. It gives me more confidence about my silver city SM's scheme with inspiration for more. Thanks.

No problemo. It's easier than you think. Working on a tutorial as I go. Now back to the OP....