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Hey All!

This saturday I was able to give my NOVA bound Tau list a go against Jeff's green tide orks, which numbered a staggering 160 models, with no tanks (awww, sad broadsides) I think this match can serve as a guideline on how to block units to give your own an advantage, and I hope some people learn from this. But...enough of my blatering, to the army lists!

My Tau:
Shas'El @ 92 (TL missile pod, flamer, HW TA, HW TL, bonding knife)

2x Crisis team@ 196 each
..Team Leader @72(plasma rifle, fusion blaster, multi-tracker, bonding knife)
..2 Shas'ui @62(plasma rifle, missile pod, multi-tracker)

..Team Leader @ 57 (TL missile pod, flamer, HW Target lock)
..2 Shas’ui @47 each (TL missile pod, flamer)

6 FWs (pulse rifles) @ 155
....Devilfish (flechette, disruption pod)

6 FWs @ 60 points

10 Kroot (5 kroot hounds) @100

10 Kroot (5 kroot hounds) @ 100

6 pathfinders @ 167
….Pathfinder’s Devilfish (flechette, disruption pod)

Piranha Squadron @ 150
..Piranha @ 75 (fusion blaster, flechette)
..Piranha @ 75 (fusion blaster, flechette)

Broadside team @ 288
..Team Leader (ASS, HW-target lock, HW drone controller, HW BSF, bonding knife)
....Shield drone
....Shield drone
..Shas'ui (ASS)
..Shas’ui (ASS)

2 Hammerhead @170 each (railgun, burst cannons, disruption pods, multi-tracker, target lock, BSF)


Jeff's Orks:

2 Mig Meks w/ KFF, 'eavy armor, boss pole

3 15 man loota squads

3 30 man slugga squads with a Nob with bosspole and Power Klaw

2 30 man Gretchin Squads with 3 Runthherders

2 4 man Bike squads
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Mission Capture and Control
Deployment: Spearhead

He won the roll off and decided to go first

Analysis:

Whew, that's a lot of boys, and with Capture and Control being the mission, I have to go through them to get that objective. Luckily for me it is spearhead, so I can flank around pretty easily.

With this list, my first priority will be the Lootas as they are the only things which can take out my tanks at range

I think I'm gonig to flank with a couple of suit squads with tanks to give them moving cover

Piranhas are going to be my best friend this game as their flechette dischargers will probably ensure that they won't get charged and their flat out save should protect them from the majority of loota shots.

Deployment:


Jeff fills up most of his deployment zone (if you guys notice he has a good number of 2ed orks in his collection) with sluggas with attached big meks spearheading the assualt. One squad of gretchin hides behind a hill and another sits on the objective.

His lootas get into firing positions, and I am surprised he didn't utilize the cover of the ruins with them.

Jeff reserves his 2 bike squads
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I deploy in Protect My Suits From Loota Fire formation with my tanks blocking my boys.

My broadsides set up on the hill with the pathfinders behind them. You can see the beginning of my flanking move on the bottom middle of the board (squad of 6 FWs in the fish)

In the middle my piranhas hide behind the empty Pathfinders Devilfish to get a cover save first turn

I outflank my 2 kroot squads and reserve my footslogging FWs

T1:

The Green tide surges foward (run move not pictured)


In shooting, the lootas get 3 shots each and pop the Pathfinder's Devilfish, with nothing else happening with shots chipping the paint of the front Hammerhead

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In my turn, I detach my piranha's drones and move up to block the advancing horde


suits move up to get some shots


Flanking units start their move to the objective, with the suits making their Dangerous Terrain checks OK


Shooting sees the closest lootas taking two hammerhead submunition rounds and losing 12, the remaining 3 make their morale check


Shooting from suits and SMS from broadsides (assisted by 1 pathfinder hit-only thing they do all game) take out 7 orks from the top squad

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thoughts: Not a very good first volley from both of us, I just have to hope my piranhas survive this turn, or maybe explode, as long as they still block.
His reserves might come on so I've got to be prepared to retaliate quickly. Also I have to keep up the fire on those lootas. Hopefully he doesn't pay too much attention to my flanking units

T2:
His bike squads both come on and move 12" up towards my Broadsides(bikers proxied as boars)


Orks run around and through my piranhas, have to space them out less next time


Gretchin move up


In shooting, his two full strength loota squads pump 75 shots into my front Hammerhead, to no avail (ork run moves pictured here)


My piranhas also absorb 6 loota shots with their flat out saves

(no pic) the biker boys take out the pathfinders (not a good game for them)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In my turn, my reserves come on, with both kroot outflanking to the left behind his lootas! The firewarriors move on and camp on my objective.


The broadsides move back, the suits move into position to shoot the bikers, and the piranhas and their drones move into blocking positions


In shooting, the Deathrains BBQ the gretchin


Combined shooting of the suits and broadsides (and back Hammerhead's burst cannons) reduce both biker squads to 2 boys each. The left squad breaks and runs off the board


The back hammerhead also directs a submunition round at the middle boys squad, taking out 7


(no pic) the other hammerhead shoots a submunition at the closer loota squad and makes them break, less orks for the kroot to kill!

the kroot then assualt the two remaining loota squads and sweep them


Then they consolidate towards the remaining gretchin squad


The suits then do their jetpack shenanigans to move them away from the orks, where the Deathrains get behind the wall o' tanks, and the piranhas' drones move up to block the middle ork squad
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

T3:
Thoughts: It seems like I got Jeff's objective in the bag, all I have to do is slow down the orks long enough for the game to end

The bikers advance as well and wound a crisis suit during the shooting phase


The boys move up
(this pic taken during my turn)

Gretchin step up and take out 8 (!) kroot, the remaining members pass their test.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The remaining kroot, unfazed by the mowing down of their avian brethern, charge foward towards the offending gretchin, with the FWs disembarking to give the lil' guys some pulse rifle lovin'


Fireknives and broadsides back up towards the objective, with the flanking units moving towards the horde and the Deathrains getting into flamer range. Piranhas shuffle to block again


Combined shooting sees the bikers off the table and the kililing of 20 or so boys from the lower squad, and around 8 from the top squad


Kroot assualt...with expected results. The tau are now claiming both objectives


Assault moves take me away from the orks
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

T4:
Assault: Okay boys and girls, clean up time! (insert barney song) Both objectives seem safe, now just have to reduce their numbers

the remaining boys move up, with the depleted squad going for my drones


WAAAAAARGH!!


The boys assualt my drones and one of my fireknife squads, wiping them
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I use the Piranhas and home base Hammerhead to block the boys from my broadsides


Everything moves into position to fire


Shooting sees the diminished boy squad eliminated and the middle boys almost wiped out- bar a boy, nob, and mek


Assault moves see the Deathrains move up and the remaining fireknives move back (to avoid assault)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Game 5:
Thoughts: My opponent knows it is over by now and says he will concede after this turn

the remaining boy squads throw caution to the wind and move to assualt the piranhas


the other squad assualts as well, with them losing 9 to the flechettes and the dimished squad losing a slugga boy. However they do explode the piranha (losing a few boys) and stun the remaining vehicle in the squadron (which is no longer a squadron)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I move all my units to the remaining boys (warboss is a proxied mek btw)


Shooting sees the remaining boys wiped


In combination to the massacre, I have both objectives covered




And that's its! the death tally is 160 orks to the 24 dead tau infantry and 2 destroyed vehicles

It was a good day

Post-Game Analysis
With all of my battle reports, I would like to grade my forces on their preformances, and if I notice a unit which is consistantly lacking, then I will make some changes

To the units:

HQ + Deathrains- B+: took out gretchin and more than half a mob of boys, with no wounds dealt to them

Fireknives- C: no vehicles/ nobs, so most of their fire was wasted; they took out the bikers though

Firewarriors: A+: did what they had to do, get objectives. They even go some gretchin kills, which is a nice bonus

Kroot- A+: they took out those lootas and gretchin in the ork backfield, AND got the objective

Piranhas- A: no tanks to kill, but they and their drones blocked the horde for 4 turns

Hammerheads- A+: This is why I bring hammerheads, submunitions and burst cannons smacked the hordes

Broadsides- C: no vehicles = sad broadsides, easy as that

really nicely painted tau army, very unique and good job playing an army not alot of people play anymore!

cool batrep

Agreed nice battle report and awesome painted tau, One question how do your flamer suits work out for you usually? And do your kroot work well usually to?

Smitty0305 wrote:really nicely painted tau army, very unique and good job playing an army not alot of people play anymore!

cool batrep

Thank you for the compliments, not many people expect tau to do well

Billythekid256 wrote:Agreed nice battle report and awesome painted tau, One question how do your flamer suits work out for you usually? And do your kroot work well usually to?

Thank you as well, to your questions:

My 'flamer suits' are primarily used in the anti-transport role, in which they excel, usually I don't even get a chance to use the flamers

My kroot usually are used in the blocking/ meatshield role. But when I see an oppurtunity to attack a lightly defended home base/ flank(lootas/ long fangs in the backfield), I will take the chance and outflank them. If all goes badly and they come on the wrong side of the board, I make sure there is an objective on that flank

It seemed like a poor idea to put the lootas so far in the back corner, I might have centrally positioned them to avoid outflankers. I am also generally inclined with Orks to put my objective at midfield against Tau since you want to advance anyways.

Aright thanks for the quick replies and I wish you luck when nova happens and keep on posting the awesome battle reports
Gives me a more of an insight of tau since i recently started playing them

great rep, and well played. really lovely color scheme

for the greater good!

It is waUgh, not waRgh.

Like this

WAAAAAAAAUUGH!!!!!

Nice game.

I really like you tau, especially your tanks...mind is I ask how you do the camo effect?

Hate painting vehicles as it costs loads

elementbender wrote:It is waUgh, not waRgh.

Like this

WAAAAAAAAUUGH!!!!!

Nice game.

Thank you good sir, I will not be making the mistake a second time (never thought that I would find an ork grammer nazi in my life...)

Imperial Monkey wrote:I really like you tau, especially your tanks...mind is I ask how you do the camo effect?

I used four colors: ultramarines blue, hawk turquise, and ice blue, and white (GW paints)

I pick a direction first and paint in that certain direction (for example, on my piranhas I painted diagonally)

I then painted oval like patterns in the fore mentioned colors in the order from darkest to lightest, you want to cover up most of the black areas, overlap when necessary.
You shouldn't use as much ice blue as the other colors as it is a little too bright.

From there you add white in a 50/50 ratio with blue and layer THAT color over the darker blue, only leaving a little strip of the orginal color on the edges. You then repeat with the other two colors. (In effect you are creating the effect of 6 different colors)

After that I just washed in delvin mud to get a dirtier look for the whole thing.

elementbender wrote:Hate painting vehicles as it costs loads

I also hate painting vehicles as it is such a big allocation of time (see above method of making the camo scheme), however I should be getting an airbursh soon, which should quicken the process

mythological wrote:

elementbender wrote:It is waUgh, not waRgh.

Like this

WAAAAAAAAUUGH!!!!!

Nice game.

Thank you good sir, I will not be making the mistake a second time (never thought that I would find an ork grammer nazi in my life...)

Da orks say "gramma"

You forgot to give your pathfinders a grade on the whole evaluation thing.

I don't like to use them that much, but how would you rate their performance?

OmegaStriker wrote:You forgot to give your pathfinders a grade on the whole evaluation thing.

I don't like to use them that much, but how would you rate their performance?

Oh, probably an D-, as they got one hit then died.

As to their regular preformance, I love them as they do one of two things

1. Die, for 2-3 scenrios, this a a good thing as that mean my opponent is shooting at a stationary and low threat level target (thats up for debate) instead of going for my mobile forces. Think of them like a bulletmagnet

2. They don't die and they really improve my shooting (mostly for my crisis suits). Without markerlights, Crisis suits are good, and I can live with that in a game, especially if the firepower which killed the pathfinders could of been directed at them. WITH pathfinders, they are great, and even though it is the better option, I could live with both

In summation, wheter they suck or do great, they are contributing to my forces

This is why people mech up. I love the feeling of superiority when it is I who controls the enemy's movement. Good game.

I have arrived to comment on our game!!!!!!!!!!!
So to rub my face into the ground even more, I did a count of the models in the list, and it's 205, not 150. The gretchin really make the tally go up. Really was a good game, I just couldn't use my tactic of using the gretchin as a shield with a 5+ cover save. I just wish the game after hadn't been 1000pts against 5 Leman Russ.

m14 wrote:I have arrived to comment on our game!!!!!!!!!!!
So to rub my face into the ground even more, I did a count of the models in the list, and it's 205, not 150. The gretchin really make the tally go up. Really was a good game, I just couldn't use my tactic of using the gretchin as a shield with a 5+ cover save. I just wish the game after hadn't been 1000pts against 5 Leman Russ.

glad to see that you have joined the forums, as I said above, I suggest shoota boys instead of sluggas (as a matter of preference)

And yeah, spearhead was rough for you and you didn't get any luckier against the russes afterwords...

Spearhead wasn't the problem. The problem was A) That huge building in the middle of my deployment zone really caused me problems B) We weren't playing the standard NOVA terrain setup of 1 piece per table quarter then another in the middle.
Actually I played a game yesterday with Spearhead and didn't have a problem. Did quite well early, but Purifiers are disgusting against hordes with Purifying Flame, killing 5+ Orks before they (the Purifiers) get to strike.
Can't wait to get in another game with you, hopefully for the league this time.

Wow, I'm surprised!

Tau vs. Orks is usually a pretty tough matchup for da Fish 'eads. Especially when you consider that there were no big tanks to shoot at with the rail cannons. Well played!

good rep!

Monster Rain wrote:Wow, I'm surprised!

Tau vs. Orks is usually a pretty tough matchup for da Fish 'eads. Especially when you consider that there were no big tanks to shoot at with the rail cannons. Well played!

Thank you for the compliments, it's these kind of matchups why I take hammerheads and flechette dischargers, I don't know what I would've done with a 6-9 broadside list

Zid wrote:good rep!

Thank you for commenting, I just hope people can learn from these

Those Tau look great! and nice battle report!

Nice battle report, although I never like seeing greenskins bite the dust Also, it's not even waaaUgh, it's just waaagh - with only 'a's.

nice to see tau philosophy working at its best, and i have never seen so many orks on the battlefield. (besides Apoc)

Zhent Killer wrote:nice to see tau philosophy working at its best, and i have never seen so many orks on the battlefield. (besides Apoc)

It was, and I met my opponent again, and apparently he miscounted and it was actually a 215 model horde