the battlefield

Drachen keeps 2 devifish with firewarriors in reserve
In my reserve is the SR carrying Assault squad and a 5 man combat sqad

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My "firebase" has a commanding view

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My WIP vindi moves up the centre towards the Tau gunline.

its a scary thought advancing on the Tau, I use the SM statue to try and obscure LOS on the Vindi and I pop all smoke launchers. In the shooting phase my firebase opens up on the pathfinders in the fortress every missile hits its mark and the auto cannon to!! in total I cause 7 wounds from extreme range. Drachen decides to go to ground for a 2+ cover save. I tell him this is not necessary in a fortification but I am left eating my words!!! (check oot the next pic for his cover save rolls)

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The tau guns mean business and what a beautiful army.

The HH with ironcannon scores 3 pens on the rhino!! but I make 2 smoke saves and the final pen scores a crew shaken result. Wow you got to love smoke launchers, invaluable. To make matters worse for the Tau most other weapons miss and have no effect including fire from the Tau warlord (yes he rolled lots more 2's) this was a big let off for the SOM.

SOM turn2
The SR comes in from reserve down the left to aid the scouts and Rhino under heavy fire from the HH. The second combat squad also comes in and helps secure the SOM backfield against any future tau looking for LB

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The Rhino makes a dash for it thinking the SR will clear a path

Tau turn 2

Drachen uses his warlord trait and his pathfinders stand from going to ground and will not have to snapfire eeeeeeeek! He readjusts the ret of the Tau and opens up. the pathfinders light the vind up now that they have their full BS and hit with 3 marks ( it would have been more but for los) The rail gun armed HH now buffed hits home on the Vind but then rolls another 2 for penetration! This was a great tactic used by Drachen using what some people would call a worthless WL trait in conjunction with pathfinders and a railgun HH. If I'm honest it deserved a result he had lured the Vind in as I forgot about that WL trait he really deserved more.

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Tau WL shows everyone how its done.

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the humble pathfinders have been bombarded this game but still manage to dust themselves down and damage my Hq's transport.

The railgun armed HH has the Vind in its sights and hits but only manages a glance. Once again I think I have got away with it when the Tau WL again dispatches the vindicator with a great shot.

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The Tau WL has got first blood and now his second scalp is the Vind.. This guy is taking me apart.

Again Drachen readdresses his lines with good jump moves.

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Tau HQ consolidate into the fortress

My HQ disembark from their battered RB to bring there meltas and plasmas to bare on the Tau, the SR switches to hover mode and the assault squad disembark to charge the Tau HQ. my combat squad on the left stay hunkered down behind the wreaked rhino (see previous pic) The scout squad see their chance moving forward firing at the Tau HQ, I cause a wound but its easily saved. I was hoping to shoot the dready on the SS at a different target but both missile launchers firing on the pathfinders missed so it was up to the dready to keep them going to ground, which he did with good auto cannon and missile fire of his own. I could not have them markerlights dotting me up next turn. the SR again opened up on the HH with iron cannon scoring a pen but only getting a crew shaken result. My HQ fired all its combi and special weapons at the riptide but either missed or failed to wound with everything in the arsenal. My only hope was for the assault squad to make their charg into the Tau HQ which they did and survived the over watch partily down to a roll of 6 on the ironhands FNP doctrine. However in my haste to assault I forgot to fire pistols first which included the sergeants plasma pistol (silly mistake)

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My Hq open up on the mighty riptide and fail to score a single wound

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combat erupts on the fortress the result was not expected

Drachens WL challenged my Sarg and they battled to a draw, the assault squad caused 2 wounds on the bodyguards for none in return. I had won by 2, we both expected this combat to last the game but drachen rolled for his moral followed by a 1 for his initative!!! the WL and his unit were cut down what a shock and it bought the current score to a draw.

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after a shock win the assault squad consolidate

Tau turn4

Drachens second reserves come in as the first reservs strengthen his objective. Tau battle suits rush to shore up the line as the assault squad are in his backline. Drachen senses his chance to rid the sky's of the SR now in hover mode. The HH with rail gun fires and hits but only scores a glance. However the HH with the iron cannon clearly has a better shooting crew they have been hitting all game and even with a previous crew shaken result meaning they can only snapshot they still manage to bring the SR down with a great shot. I fail my jink roll and the mighty ship is a smoking wreck. Wow this is hard to call.

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Tau battle suits move to meet the new assault squad threat

the Tau gun line poor fire into my HQ and kill 2 veterans it would have been worse had it not been for FNP

SOM turn 5

In this turn I do the most cowardly (but funny) thing ever my HQ get back in the RB on its last HP and erm........ run away, you'll see why. My combat squad and scouts see there chance moving and running up the left as fast as they can. the scouts look for cover. The assault squad charge the HH with ion cannon looking to avenge the loss of their ancient transport. The Firebase on the SS continue great shooting causing 8 wounds on the pathfinders killing 2 they pass there moral this time. In the assault phase the assault squad fail to wreak the HH taking it down to a single hull point.

My brave and mighty, heroic HQ say a prayer to Ferrus Manus and ready them selves to charge the Tau line

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Sod this for a game of soldiers

I move back with e RB fast!!!

Tau turn 5

again although only snap shooting the path finders light up the striken RB which is then destroyed by the riptide. The brave assault squad are wiped from the face of the planet in a devastating Tau full side

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scouts hunker down to weather a terrible tau fire storm

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protect the warlord

tau turn 6

drachen opens up with all he has a submunission round from the rail gun takes out 2 of the combat squad then a scout dies... hold on boys the dust settles ans 1 combat member and 4 scouts are alive due to the los and cover the scouts found I roll the dice and the game ends wow

SOM5 Tau 4







































Automatically Appended Next Post:
this was such a fun game I will post more pics of the armies soon, I hope you enjoyed this it was sooooo close and a pleasure to battle a good friend and great opponent on our own board ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/564492/6274110.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/564492/6274110.page GMT
I swear he enjoy taking advantage of me and my obsession to kill stuff and forgetting about things like linebraker and warlord etc....

Looking back on my mistakes, I feel I was far too rash with my general. I tooled him up to take a beating, and he can certainly take one. Unfortunately I let him get too far ahead of my army and Ectus pounced on this without mercy (and quite right too). Although I like this build for my general and will def use it again next time, after all he did take out a couple of key vehicles.

Being honest, the victory went to the better general, I could have been a lot more effective with my elites but felt pinned in place by his 'instant killing' missile launchers having a view over the entire battlefield. Really well placed troops here from Ectus.

Overall, great game and very funny in places. Especially the retreating marine HQ, we were both laughing fairly hard at that point.

I'll beat him one day!!!!! Great game Ectus. Until next time.
]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/564492/6274198.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/564492/6274198.page GMT ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/564492/6274353.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/564492/6274353.page GMT

 Gitsplitta wrote:
Beautiful models on both sides. Very fun game. Thanks for posting a great report!

 Vourne wrote:
Excellent battle report gents! Those SOM are proving to be a feared opponent.

Splitting the tac squads to maximize their fire power is a great tactic.

However could have been a different outcome, had that assault squad not run down the suits!

Great stuff!