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I had a rather interesting game in my journey to learn the ins and outs of the Tau. Today I had my 5th game and boy was it a doozie.

First off I was facing a new build of SM from 2 entirely new opponents 2500 points on their side and they had;

SW
Bjorn (Plasma cannon/ Heavy flamer style here)
2x Grey Hunters in Las/Plas Razorbacks, 5 strong
1x Grey Hunter in Rhino w/ Dozer blade, 10 Strong w/ 2 Meltaguns, Power weapon, Mark of Wulfen, Wolf Standard
1x Long Fang w/ 5x Missile Launcher
1x Vindicator w/ Siege Shield
1x Whirlwind Mobile Artillery

SM
Master of the Forge w/ Conversion Beamer
1x Scouts 6 Strong w/ Tellion upgragde and heavy bolter
1x Tactical Squad w/ Plasmagun and Multi-melta
3x Speeders w/ Multi-Melta and Heavy Flamers
1x Dreadnought w/ Multi-Melta (Possible Heavy flamer but He didn't live long enough to use it if he did have one)
2x Dreadnoughts w/ Dual Twin Linked Autocannon
2x Dakka Predators

Some upgrades in the Marines force may be missing because They weren't observed due to the unit getting killed before they could use them or me forgetting about them.

Tau "Brightblade Cadre"
On my side I ran 2500pts w/ 2 sets of force org (Minimum of 2HQ, 4 Troops)
Crisis Suit Commander "Commander Brightblade" (Shas'El, Targetting Array, HW Multi-Tracker, Plasma gun, Missile Pod HW Drone controller, 2x Shield Drones)
Commander Shadowsun
1x Fire Warrior (9 Strong w/ Devilfish w/ Mult-Tracker, Targetting Array, Smart Missile System, and Disruption Pods)
2x Fire Warrior (9 Strong)
1x Kroot Carnivore Pack(10 strong w/ 1 Kroot Hound)
1x Crisis Suits (3 Strong, Fireknife Config [Plasma/Missile Pod/Multi-Tracker] Bonding Knife, HW Drone Controller w/ Shield Drone)
1x Crisis Suits (2x Strong, Fireknife Config)
2x Pathfinder Squad (8 Strong w/ Devilfish w/ Mult-Tracker, Targetting Array, Smart Missile System, and Disruption Pods) Fish to be used by FW squads
2x Piranha Squadrons (2 squads of 2 w/ fusion guns. One squad had a pair of seeker missiles)
1x Broadside Team (3 Strong w/ Targetting Array, Bonding Knife, HW Drone Controller 2x Shield Drones)
2x HammerHeads (Railgun, SMS, Multi-Tracker, Disruption Pod, Target Lock)

The Mission was Sieze ground on a pitched battle deployment. Picture below. The Red circles were the objectives. The Marines won First turn. We rolled the same result 2 times in a row. On the third time I won 3-2. But Bjorns Tactics gave the marines a re-roll that put them 4-3.

[Edit: Image made of Fail. I will put a good one in as soon as I learn how to use Gimp. Crap Image at bottom of post. I need to learn to use photobucket as well.]

Marines deployed along the top end of the map. Placing longfangs in forest w/ Vindicator, Bjorn and 1 Riflemand Dread. Whirlwind and one of the dakka preds deployed on the far left corner of the map behind the forest. Rhinos and Razorbacks deployed in between the forest and the ruins (1 of the razorbacks stayed in the large forest closest to the object nearest their deployment zone. The Snipers deployed in the Middle Ruins w/ Master of the Forge (Which was then Fortified). The Other Predator deployed in the far left ruins and the remaining Rifleman dread deployed between the two ruins. The Melta Dreadnought deployed w/ the rhinos between the forest and the ruins.

For my deployment I placed the Kroot in the forest near my left objective. 2 Railheads and crisis suit team deployed in the far left corner behind the forest. The pathfinders deployed in the small forest in my zone, and the center ruins in my zone. The Broadsides Deployed in the far right ruins (I figured that w/ marker light support I could still kill my targets, and with no objectives in the right side of the board assault would be unlikely) The Crisis suit team w/ the Leader attached deployed in the middle ruins w/ the pathfinders (only half of the unit actually in the ruins so I would need less Dangerous terrain tests when I left) 2 Fire warriors deployed behind the forest and 1 behind the ruins. 2 of them dismounted waiting for first turn to embark the pathfinder devilfish. Commander Shadowsun would be held in reserve to arrive by deepstrike.

I attempted to steal, failed.

Turn 1: Space Marine
Movement Phase: On the first turn the Marine players turbo'd the speeders right in front of the middle of my deployment zone. The rhinos carrying the emperor's finest plunged headlong down the center deploying smoke launchers. One razorback slowed just enough to fire a Lascannon at my devilfish but the disruption pod saved the transport. Bjorn and a rifleman dread advance out of the forest to get better sight lines on vehicles.

The Shooting Phase: The dakka preds open fire on my devilfish on the right and my hammer head on the left. The hammerheads armor easily deflects the autocannon rounds and heavy bolters. The Fish is saved by disruption pods. The Vindicator opens up on my pathfinders in the forest and kills 3 of them. The whirlwind fires incendiary missiles into the forest w/ the kroot but luckily scatters towards the Firewarriors still waiting to get in the pathfinders devilfish. 1 Kroot is still killed and the armor on the Fire Warriors saves their lives. Bjorn takes aim at a Devil fish but is unable to penetrate w/ his plasma cannon. The rifleman dreads on both sides target the devil fish scoring multiple penetrating hits but all are saved by the disruption pods. The master of the forge fires his conversion beamer cross map for a 51" shot at a hammer head in the other corner. However the multitude of buildings forests and tanks in his way fouls his aim (scatter drives his shot off the board) The longfangs split fire between a devilfish and one of the piranha squadrons. The fish is saved by disruptions pods (again). And the piranha takes a single weapon destroyed result (the marine takes the seeker missile as I won't be in melta range for another turn. I manage to escape the marine shooting phase w/ all of my tanks in tact and only a kroot and 3 pathfinders dead and a seeker missile destroyed. (A lot of lucky saves here)

Assault Phase: No units in assault range

Turn 1: Tau Empire
Movement Phase: As the board sits at this point I have 3 speeders in my lines that will start pouring promethium into my pathfinders if not dealt with. 3 squads of marines centerfield and many shooting elements lending support from all angles. And if I don't drop that Whirlwind my Kroot's cover save will mean nothing. I have much to do and little time to do it. The first order of business is to drop the speeders. I move the suits w/ my leader out of the ruins to get a better line on one of the speeders. The commander orders the righthand pathfinder squad to enter the ruins in the center of my deployment zone instead of embarking on the devilfish this will put the speeder in rapidfire range. The pathfinder fish jukes to the right to provide cover comanders suits later and assist with hunting speeders with cover ignoring smart missiles. The second suit squad moves to the extreme left hand side of the board to line up a side armor shot on the left hand predator. One Railhead moves next to the suits to put a shot into the whirlwind, and the other strafes along my board edge to line up a shot on a dreadnought. The other disembarked fire warrior squad embarks in a devilfish and both fish move forward to engage rhinos w/ Smart missile systems. The pathfinders remain in posistion to mark the rhino in the center of the enemy formation and the vindicator. The kroot adjust formation w/in the forest to reduce the impact if incendiaries should the whirlwind survive my wrath. One squad of Piranha Turbo's forward to block the rhino. The other advances slightly to engage a speeder.

Shooting Phase: I open up w/ marker Lights on my High priority targets. I score 3 Hits on the Rhino w/ smoke. And 4 on the vindicator. The Broadsides then fire through the mass of ruins and intervening vehicles to home in on markerlights on the vindicator. The vindicator explodes. A devil fish fires smart missiles at the marked rhino and calls the seeker off of the piranha. The rhino emerges unscathed. The squad of speeders that didn't turbo boost take their shot on the speeder on the left but both shots miss. Another fish opens up on the left speeder to finish the job with cover ignoring smart missiles and wrecks its target. The Commander's crisis suit wastes another. And the fire warriors open up a torrent of fire on the middle speeder. It explodes sending a hail of flaming debris into the ruins where the pathfinders are encamped. 2 Pathfinders give their lives for the greater good as a result (a small price to pay as the heavy flamer would likely have killed 3 times that many). The Left hand suit squad launches a volley of missiles into the predator and explodes it as well. The Left railhead fires destroying the missile rack on the whirlwind (not a kill but it saves my kroot) The right railhead fires at bjorn but the ward of the primarch saves the Fell Handed One.

Assault phase: Suits on right jump behind devilfish. Suits on left jump behind forest.

Turn One Analysis: I had a really lucky time w/ saves only taking only a handful of casualties and having all of my vehicles still. The space marines however were down a predator, minus weapons on a whirlwind, out all three speeders and had their rhino rush blocked off by a squadron of speeders. Things are looking a little better but I am not out of the woods yet.

Turn 2 Space Marines
Movement Phase: The space marines advance has been slowed as one of the rhinos pulls back slightly to help the squad blocked by the skimmers by engaging the skimmers. The blocked rhino stands fast and a razorback maneuvers for position to take a shot on a hammerhead. Bjorn and a rifleman dread advance out of the forest and the melta dread moves near the center ruins to take out the speeder wall. The weaponless whirlwind advances set armed w/ only its mass and mobility as it's remaining weapon. Other elements of the marine army stand fast.

The Shooting Phase: Now the armies are really engaged as more elements of the marine army are in range to engage my forces. The snipers w/ MotF, Right Rifleman, and Dakka pred open fire on my leaders crisis suit squad. They take out a drone and kill a squad member, they also put a wound on my commander as well. But the suits hold their ground. The marines in the rhinos pop top hatches and unload melta into the speeders alongside the melta dreadnought. They manage to down one of my speeders despite cover saves and the drones are forced to disembark. The Long Fangs seeking vengeance for the destruction of the vindicator open up w/ frag shots on my now 6 man pathfinder squad. 6 wounds are delivered via frag missile and when the smoke clears not a single pathfinder from that squad is left standing. The left rifleman dread opens up on the 5 man pathfinder squad, Making it a 4 man squad after a failed armor save. Both razorbacks engage tanks and both score hits that are foiled by disruption pods.

The Assault Phase: Dreadnought attempts to assault speeder. Player rolls a 6 on difficult terrain movement but can't follow suit with his attacks.

Turn 2 Tau
Movement Phase: Shadowsun does not come from reserves. I'm not doing too bad at this point. I'm now down a speeder and out a pathfinder squad and a half, but all of my battle tanks are in fighting trim and i've only lost one suit. I move the Leaders crisis suit out of the line of from from the snipers, rifleman dread, and pred. I cannot have them fire on me like they did the previous turn. The fish maneuver forward to deploy fire warriors in a dual fish of fury maneuver. (This is a bit of a gamble as the enemy is still mechanized But I have many railguns and missiles) The 2 piranhas that tried to fry a speeder turn 1 pull up alongside the lone speeder and reinforce the speeder wall. The drones move back to form a line in front of the devilfish as an additional assault buffer. The hammerheads maneuver to gain shots on the dreadnoughts moving on my left flank. The left suit squad moves to take aim at a rhino. The squad of Fire warriors in the ruins hoofs it to the right devilfish and the devilfish moves forward to support with smart missile systems.

Shooting Phase: The Commander's crisis suit team starts with a volley of missiles and plasma to the dreadnought and none get through. Then I open up with the broadsides. They split fire this time. The team leader targetting the rifleman dread. Exploding it and taking out a nearby sniper in the process. The rest of the team fires on melta dread my crisis suits failed on. They explode it as well. The left hammerhead railguns the razorback on the SM side left objective and explodes it. Killing 2 and sending them packing. They flee, but not off of the board. The Right hammerhead targets the left rifleman dread taking one of it's autocannons. The left crisis suit missile pods a rhino open, pinning its occupants from the explosion. The Piranhas carve open the other rhino and the disembarked gun drones pin the occupants. (wow 3 failed morale checks in one phase on space marines no less) The markerlights and fire warriors now have a target. I put 2 marks in the space wolf squad and after to BS 4 Rapid fires and 2 devilfish laying into them there is only a single space wolf standing (He manages to make his morale check and gets to stay pinned.

Assault phase: The suits fall back to safety.

Turn Summary: Things have swung decidedly in my favor now. The marine assault has grinded to a halt w/ 2 squads pinned and the home objective squad out of position. I've also started to carve into their long range support as well.

Turn 3 Space Marine
Movement phase: Not much here. The marines homefield grey hunter squad regoups and moves back onto the objective. Bjorn and rifleman push forward again. The razorback moves a bit forward to the left of the cluster of dead tanks and skimmer wall in the middle. Some grey hunter pile out of the razorback to return fire on my fire warriors. The weaponless whirlwind tankshocks the kroot after passing dificult terrain but the kroot stand firm and wisely decide not to death or glory with kroot rifles.

Shooting Phase: The marines rally here, a little. MotF + Snipers now engage my broadsides trying to put a stop to the pain they are bringing. Tellion puts a rend on my team leader and another sniper takes out a shield drone, and the conversion beamer scatters a little hitting a single model and failing to wound. The broadsides pass their pinning test and manage not to get pinned. The dakka pred opens up on the broadsides as well but fails to get anything through the 2+ save on my heavy artillery. Longfangs pour missile justice into 2 speeder squadron wrecking one and exploding another. Bjorn and a rifleman dread manage to both get shots in on a devil fish but they only inflict glancing hits (they were also inside of the D-pod range too) They both roll vehicle shaken on my fish. The grey hunter squad that wasn't pinned manages to kill a fire warrior w/ bolters.

Assault Phase: The dreadnoughts aren't yet in range so no assaults as of yet.

Turn 3 Tau
Movement Phase: I'm ahead at this point. I just need to bring the game to a close. The commander and his crisis squad moves forward to deliver the plasma on the marine tactical sqad that was pinned last turn. the fire warriors stay put to lay down a new barrage on their new target. Slight maneuvering from both hammerheads, one moving for a shot on Bjorn and another moving for a shot on the invading whirlwind. And the left crisis squad prepares for a plasma volley on the rifleman dread. The Surviving piranha moves over the wall of wrecked and exploded rhinos to try and put a rear armor shot into the razorback. Shadowsun... Has yet to arrive.

Shooting Phase: The piranha misses its target. The hammerhead targetting the whirlwind explodes it. Wounding some of my kroot, but I pass the cover save. The other Railhead scores an immobilized result on Bjorn. The marine player has me reroll it, I get an explode result instead. Bjorn is now an additional objective about 6" to the left of the center field forest objective. The Broadsides take a long shot w/o marker light support on a razorback but the building in my allows a successful cover save. The Team leader fires on the dakka pred, but only scores an immobilized result. The marker lights open up on the grey hunter squad. 2 squads of rapidfire later the squad is a pile smoking ash and twisted metal (there were no survivors) The commanders suit empties plasma into the tactical squad. With the help of Smart Missiles from nearby tanks the squad is reduced to a single member who fails moral and starts running. Gun drones then open up and kill the remaining grey hunter that was center field.

Assault Phase: Commanders suits fall back slightly. Left crisis squad moves forward behind the hammerhead.

Turn Summary: The game is now in my favor but we decide to keep playing it out.

Turn 4 Marines
Movement Phase: The lone marine regroups and moves behind my speeder in an attempt to glance it with his bolter. The rifleman dread and razorback move forward to recover the remains of Bjorn.

Shooting Phase: The MotF and snipers pour more fire into the broadsides, but inflict no casualties. The Dakka Pred fires into the broadsides as well, but to no effect. Lone Marine shoots into the speeder to no effect. The missile launchers launch a volley of missiles; 2 into the speeder right in front of them and 3 into a hammerhead. The speeder is hit twice and shaken, and the hammerhead is penetrated 3 times but disruption pods stop all hits. The rifleman dread fires on the firewarriors but no shots make it past their armor.

Assault Phase: Nothing (just the Way the tau like it)

Turn 4 Tau: The game is pretty much decided here. Shadowsun finally shows up, and tries to melt both the dread and the razorback. She misses the dread but explodes the razorback. Railguns target the dread and kill it. I move tanks forward to engage the scouts w/ smart missile systems and the broadsides explode the remaining dakka pred. The lone bolter marine dies to gun drones.

At this point the marines have a scout squad, a long fangs squad, and 3 grey hunters. The marines cede the game at this point. It was a good game, but I had a lot of favor from the dice gods failing only 2 of the many disruption pod saves I was callled upon to make. The marines also uncharacteristically failed most of their morale checks in quick succession.

Lessons Learned: This was my first time using piranhas. Had they not been there the marines would have been in my lines on turn 2 and assaulting me on turn 3. This was my first time having a crisis suit squad get targeted by competent ranged fire and the shield drones are really worth their points.

MVP for the marines would have to be the long fangs for wiping an entire squad of pathfinders.
MVP for the Tau: I'm not sure on this one. The Fire warriors put down a lot of marines, but the skimmers are what really made it happen (not to mention their drones killed a few marines and pinned a marine squad at a crucial point in the game.

Later on I will add better pictures as I have downloaded Gimp and I am learning to use it.

As per usual, I welcome all thoughts, comments, and advice. Mind you, this is my first battle report.

Wow, pretty decisive. At 2500pts theres enough firepower in the tau army to be horrendously devestating.

Luck was with you though, i could almost hear the groans of the SM players!

Tau have good synergy at higher points levels where you can have all the weapons and the marker lights needed to use them most effectively.

Thaylen wrote:
Mind you, this is my first battle report.

Great job on the batrep! It was a good read. Some pictures to go alongside would have been nice, but it was easy to follow and clearly re-enacted.

And well done with the fish of fury! It's always nice to see aging codices do well under competent commanders.

Thanks for the compliments all. Any tips on improving my game, be it new strategies or adjustments to my list would be welcome.

I'll try to add pictures to the next one I do.

Fantastic battle report. Disruption Pods are really worth it, or are you just incredibly lucky!! Your armour should have been dropping from turn one but you managed to survive the whole game with only one seeker missile destroyed!

Dakka is really good for uploading images onto, its in the 'attach a file' tab at the bottom of the make a post screen. You can attach up to five images at a time *I think*, or you can upload them in a batch to the gallery and then write in a link to them in your post. Try it out!

s.j.mccartney wrote:Fantastic battle report. Disruption Pods are really worth it, or are you just incredibly lucky!! Your armour should have been dropping from turn one but you managed to survive the whole game with only one seeker missile destroyed!

Dakka is really good for uploading images onto, its in the 'attach a file' tab at the bottom of the make a post screen. You can attach up to five images at a time *I think*, or you can upload them in a batch to the gallery and then write in a link to them in your post. Try it out!

Yeah I got pretty lucky in my rolls w/ the D-Pods. I did lose a couple of the piranhas, but that was really part of the plan.

I'll have to mess w/ using the gallery next time I do a battle report. I have some games coming up this weekend. I'll see if I can scrounge up a camera so I can post Pics as well.