2k Points Tau Empire vs Blood Ravens (White Scars)
JHolt’s Blood Ravens (White Scars Chapter Tactics)
White Scars CAD
-Kor’sarro Khan (WARLORD) w/Moondrakken
-Librarian (ML1) w/Hunter’s Eye, Force Staff
-3xBikes w/Grav-gun, Plasma Gun
-Attack Bike w/Heavy Bolter
-5xScouts w/Sniper Rifles, Camo Cloaks
-3xWhirlwind
-
Dev Centurion Squad: Omniscope, 3xGrav-
amp, Grav-cannon, Hurricane Bolters
-5xTac Marines
-Drop Pod
Skyhammer Annihilation Force (White Scars)
-5xAssault Marines w/2Flamers
-5xAssault Marines w/2Flamers
-10xDev Marines w/4xHeavy Bolters
-10xDev Marines w/4xHeavy Bolters
Imperial Knights Detachment
-Knight Paladin
Plainshow’s Tau Empire
Tau Empire CAD
Commander Shadowsun w/2xMV52 Shield Drones, Command-Link Drone
4xSuits w/3xCounterfire Defense System
Shas’vre w/Drone Controller, Markerlight, Target Lock
2xMarker Drones
Kroot: 10xKroot
Kroot: 10xKroot
2xTetras w/2xDisruption Pods
2xTetras w/2xDisruption Pods
Devilfish w/Disruption Pod, Sensor Spines
Ethereal Council
3xEthereals
Ranged Support Cadre
6xPathfinders
6xPathfinders
6xPathfinders
2xBroadsides w/
TL High-Yield Missile Pods,
TL Smart Missile Systems, Early Warning Override
2xBroadsides w/
TL High-Yield Missile Pods,
TL Smart Missile Systems, Early Warning Override
2xBroadsides w/
TL High-Yield Missile Pods,
TL Smart Missile Systems, Early Warning Override
Ghostkeel Wing
Ghostkeel w/Ion Raker,
TL-Burst Cannon, Counterfire Defense System, Early Warning Override
Ghostkeel w/Ion Raker,
TL-Burst Cannon, Counterfire Defense System, Early Warning Override
Ghostkeel w/Ion Raker,
TL-Burst Cannon, Counterfire Defense System, Early Warning Override
Mission: Martyr’s Charge (Kauyon Campaign Mission 1)
Deployment: Tau Empire player has an 18” circle in the center of the map to deploy. Only half the Tau force may begin deployed on the table. White Scars player can deploy within 12” of any table corner (but must use at least 2). Tau place 5 objectives in their deployment zone and must deploy first.
Initiative: White Scars have 1st turn unless Tau can Seize
Primary Objective: At the end of the game, each Objective Marker is worth 3 Victory Points to the player that controls it.
Secondary Objectives: First Blood, Slay the Warlord.
Mission Special Rules: Night Fighting, Reserves.
Full Attack: Each time a Bike Squad, Attack Bike Squad, Scout Bike Squad or unit of Land Speeders is completely destroyed, place it into Ongoing Reserves, where it will be available to return to the battle at the start of the Space Marines player’s next turn. These units enter play from any point along a table edge that is within one of the Space Marines player’s deployment zones.
Kauyon: The Tau Empire player’s Reserves enter play from either long table edge.
Lines of Retreat: Any Space Marines units that Fall Back do so towards the nearest table edge. Any Tau Empire units that Fall Back must do so towards the center of the board, where they will remain until they Regroup.
Pregame notes: We have both been looking forward to trying some of the new rules from the new Warzone campaign books (Kauyon and Mont’ka). What a better way to do it than in the missions from the books! First off this is a brutal list from JHolt. His Blood Ravens steal everything they can get their hands on, including Chapter Tactics and Captains. He’s been looking to add one more big threat to his list, and the Grav Cents with the Hunter’s Eye are just that. Between them, the insane amount of pinning the Skyhammer throws out, an Imperial Knight allowed to start within 12” of my deployment zone, and a relentless barrage from those Whirlwinds, pressure will be turned up to 11 from turn one. My list revolves around the Ghostkeel Wing granting Stealth to everyone within 12” of two of the Ghosts (Shrouded if they have Stealth already). The Pathfinders gain Shrouded from their formation and should get a 2+ cover save most of the time. All the Disruption Pods combined with the Ghosts let me Jink for a 2+ as well. The Council’s 24”
Ld 10 bubble should help keep the Tau from breaking and help against the
3d6 pinning tests from the Skyhammer.
Terrain:
Deployment:
Game On: Tau fail to seize!
White Scars Turn 1
Skyhammer Drop Pods, Assault Squads and the Grav Cents with Librarian all hit dead on! The Bikes and Knight all advance toward the packed-in Tau gunline. The Ghosts and Broadsides all decide this may be their only chance to shoot, and unleash all the interceptor they can muster, wiping the 2 Assault Squads (First Blood), but leaving the rest of the marines salivating for a shoot-out. The Librarian Dominates a squad of Broadsides in the Psychic phase, then the
Dev’s lay on the bolter fire and Skyhammer pins all the Broadsides and wounding a Ghost. Whirlwinds wound a Broadside and a Ghost and that’s when the new addition to JHolt’s list opens up!
Using Splitfire and the Hunter’s Eye the Cent’s make short work of three Broadsides and leave one wounded! 2+ Armor with a 3+ cover save (going to ground with Stealth form the Ghosts) meant nothing!
The remaining Broadside breaks, go figure (forgot he should have run toward the center).
Tau Turn 1
Not looking good for the Greater Good! The Broadside regroups and heads back toward his buddies.
The Ghosts advance on the Cents for some desperate measures. All the Pathfinders are out of range for Pulse Carbines and no one else can shoot due to Interceptor, so their Markerlights are useless. Tau PASS in the shooting phase,
But make TWO charges in assault! The Ghosts can’t let that Grav be on the table when the reserves show up or the game is already over. They couldn’t even overwatch because of the Phantom Charge rule from the Wing formation! The Centurions end down a man and with one wounded while the Ghosts are unharmed. The Marines fail Morale, get caught, and then fail to Hit-and-Run, leaving us locked in combat.
Blood Ravens Turn 2
The Knight and Kahn’s bikers advance on the Ghosts and the rapidly empting center of the board. The Librarian Perils from Force, taking a wound and losing Dominate. The Whirlwinds take aim at the Pathfinders hiding in the ruins near them to let them know what they think of Shrouded in Ruins.
Presto, clean ruins! 6 dead Tau two times over from cover ignoring, shredding, pinning, large blasts. The Knight and Scouts makes short work of all but one last Broadside while Khan’s bikes charge into the melee.
Ghosts get lucky when all Khan kills is a Stealth Drone, then the Librarian’s Instant Death attacks are all saved, the Centurions are finished off and the Battlesuits again remain unscathed! The Librarian flees while Khan ties up both Ghosts.
Tau Turn 2
Reserves pass for only one squad of Kroot and Tetras, not good.
Coming on from opposite board edges they surround the Librarian and he falls to the crossfire.
The Ghosts again dish out a casualty in assault while remaining unharmed, Khan Hits-and-Runs to make way for the man who has a much bigger Mech than the Tau!
Blood Ravens Turn 3
The Tacticals arrive from Reserves to give the Kroot a bad day with help from the Skyhammer
Devs, they go down bloody and fast!
The Knight gets up close and personal with a very doomed Ghost,
While Kahn cleans out the last Broadside. That leaves the center in the Raven’s hands.
Tau Turn 3
Here comes Shadowsun, she will need to do some heavy lifting to make up for the momentum right now.
Kroot round 2 and the last Ghost make it as well. They manage to get almost 2 combat squads from the Skyhammer.
While Shadowsun’s unit pops 2 Whirlwinds and shakes the last.
The other Ghost lines a charge up a multi-assault on Kahn’s unit and the Assault Bike. Every one whiffs in combat, Khan Hit-and-Runs but the Attack Bike keeps the Ghost locked up for next turn.
Blood Ravens Turn 4
Guess who wants to make a challenge? Khan loses his buddy and takes a wound to Counterfire Defense Systems, but makes the assault! He single handedly wins combat and Sweeps the unit for Slay the Warlord.
You know where you don’t get a cover save? Close combat. No Armor save either.
Slightly different weight classes in this matchup!
Skyhammer
Devs work on the Kroot and they run off the table.
They also tag a Tetra.
Tau Turn 4
The last Ghost makes short work of the solo, wounded Kahn and the Ethereals show up with the last Tetra’s. The last of the Pathfinders finish off the Attack bike, but that’s about all the Tau can muster this turn.
Blood Ravens Turn 5
The Bike Squad and Attack Bike return from Reserves, from the Full Attack Mission Rule, and move to shore up the objectives.
The Knight sees a juicy target, as each Ethereal gives up a
VP from their Failure is Not an Option rule. He only immobilizes the Devilfish despite a 3+ Jink. The Pathfinders again finish off the Attack Bike, then the Tau make a desperate gamble.
The Ghost jet-packs forward to contest the Knight’s objective, and the Tetras all flat out 18” to grab two objectives. There is no other option, if the game doesn’t end the Ravens will wipe out the last of the Tau anyway, so it’s all or nothing on a single die roll. . .
And it’s game over!
Tau win 8-4.
Post-game Wrap up:
MVP’s
Blood Ravens: Imperial Knight-This guy did solid heavy lifting all game. Buzz sawing through Ghostkeel suits and pushing the Tau around with his presence all game. He never was in any real danger thanks to the Skyhammer and had free reign to carve a swath in the battlefield.
Tau: Ghostkeel Wing-The one ability that should have mattered, the Stealth field, never did. The large blasts on Interceptor and their ability to bring three Str6 AP2 attacks in close combat was priceless. Without their defeat of the Grav Cents in assault this game would have been unwinnable. They seem like a cheaper version of the Heavy Burst Cannon Riptide, but way more fun to play.
I'm part of the Fantasy crew that up until this summer used to invade for square-base shenanigans, glad to see other locals on Dakka ...
Pleasure to read, keep them coming!
