Hey all

we played a great game at home last night, and as Seth was in bed and the armies are now fully built, we were able to take proper notes and pics for a batrep. unfortunately, while our Terrain is functional it isnt finished (we put that on hold to get the armies built for the big meet up), and also the pics are a bit dark (i had the light on above the table and i used the flash, but in order to get the whole board in i had to hold the camera quite far away). ive tried to label the pics so that everything makes sense regardless (hope it works...).

anyway, here are the forces we used:

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Tau Combat Patrol [400 pts]

Fire Warrior Drone Team [6 Tau = 98pts]
Team Leader: Pulse Rifle, Markerlight, Bonding Knife, Hard-wired Target Lock, Hard-wired Multi-tracker, EMP Grenades.
5 Fire Warrior "Drones": Pulse Rifle.

Sniper Drone Team [1 Tau & 3 Drones = 80pts]
Spotter: Pulse Pistol, Drone Controller, Networked Markerlight, Stealth Field Generator, Targeting Array.
3 Sniper Drones: Rail Rifle, Target Lock, Stealth Field Generator, Targeting Array.

Gun Drone Squadron [6 Drones = 72pts]
6 Gun Drones: Twin-linked Pulse Carbine.

Stealth Team [3 Suits & 6 Drones = 150pts]
3 Stealth Suits: Burst Cannon, Stealth Armour, Stealth Field Generator, Drone Controller + 2 Gun Drones.

vs.

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Eldar Combat Patrol [400 pts]

Guardian Defender Squad [10 models + 1 Heavy Weapon Platform = 100pts]
10 Guardians: Shuriken Catapults
Heavy Weapon Platform: Eldar Missile Launcher

Guardian Jetbike Squadron [3 Models = 76pts]
2 Jetbikes: Twin Linked Shuriken Catapults, Shuriken Pistols
1 Jetbike: Shuriken Cannon, Shuriken Pistol

Dire Avenger Aspect Warrior Squad [5 Models = 92pts]
Exarch: 2 Shuriken Catapults, Exarch Powers: Bladestorm
4 Dire Avengers: Avenger Shuriken Catapults

Swooping Aspect Warrior Squad [5 Models = 132pts]
Exarch: Lasblaster, Warrior Power: Skyleap
4 Swooping Hawks (84): Lasblasters
Plasma & Haywire Grenades, Swooping Hawk Grenade Pack, Swooping Hawk Wings

the mission was a standard Combat Patrol game on a 4' x 4' board with lots of varied terrain.

Terrain:


Kate won the roll off to choose Deployment zones, and started deploying first.

Deployment sequence:


I won the roll for first turn, and decided to take it.

(the following pics were taken at the end of each player's Movement Phase)

Tau Turn 1:

Notes:
- Fire Warriors tried to shoot the Jetbikes, but were out of range
- Stealths killed 4 Dire Avengers (who passed thier Pinning test)
- Drones tried to shoot the Dire Avengers but were out of range
- Sniper Team shot the Dire Avengers but they passed their Cover Save
- Dire Avengers passed their Morale test for 25% Casualties

Eldar Turn 1:

Notes:
- Swooping Hawks left the board using Skyleap
- Jetbikes shot the Fire Warriors, killing 1 "Drone"
- Guardians shot the Gun Drones, but no casualties

Tau Turn 2:

Notes:
- Fire Warriors shot the Jetbikes, but no casualties
- Sniper Team split fire between the Jetbikes and the Guardians. the Jetbikes were out of range and they failed to kill any Guardians, but did leave a Markerlight counter on them
- Stealth Team fired at the Guardiant using the Markerlight counter for +1 BS, killing 5 models (survivors passed their Pinning test)
- Gun Drones tried to follow suit but didnt kill any more Guardians
- Guardians passed their Morale test for 25% Casualties

Eldar Turn 2:

Notes:
- Swooping Hawks fail their Reserves roll
- Guardians shoot the Gun Drones killing 1 model with a Plasma Missile (passed Pinning test)
- Jetbikes shoot the Fire Warriors, killing 3 "Drones"
- Fire Warriors fail their Morale test for 25% Casualties and Fall Back

Tau Turn 3:

Notes
- Fire Warriors Regroup (thanks to their Bonding Knife... i mean, "Drone Control Network" )
- Gun Drones shoot the Jetbikes, but no casualties
- Sniper Team kill 1 Guardian (pass Pinning test)
- Stealth Team shoot the Guardians and kill one of the heavy weapon crew (pass another Pinning test)
- Fire Warriors didnt have any range as they moved to regroup
- Guardians fail their Morale test for 25% Casualties and Fall Back

Eldar Turn 3:

Notes:
- Swooping Hawks fail anther Reserves roll
- Guardians Fall Back off the board
- Jetbikes kill 2 Gun Drones
- Gun Drones pass their Morale test for 25% Casualties

Tau Turn 4:

Notes:
- Fire Warriors and Gun Drones both shoot the Jetbikes, but no casualties = 0 dead
Close Combat:

Fire Warriors and Gun Drones both charge the Jetbikes through cover:
Init 10: Jetbikes attack the Gun Drones, but no casualties
Init 4: Gun Drones kill 2 Jetbikes
Init 2: Fire Warriors arent in B2B anymore
- the surviving Jetbike (Shuriken Cannon) fails his Morale test and Falls Back, leaving the Tau to Consolidate

Eldar Turn 4:

Notes:
- Swooping Hawks pass their Reserve roll:
-- they drop Grenades on the Stealth Team and kill 2 Drones.
-- the Swooping Hawks didnt scatter, and decide not to Skyleap
-- they fired at the Stealth Team and despite scoring 7 hits they failed every to-wound roll (all 1's, 2's and 3's!)

Tau Turn 5:

Notes:
- Gun Drones shoot the Swooping Hawks, killing 1 model (passed Pinning test)
- Stealth Team shoots the remaing Swooping Hawks, wiping them all out.

Eldar Turn 5:

Notes:
- Jetbikes Fall Back off the board
- Dire Avengers move and Fleet towards the Stealth Team - they try to charge but fail their Difficult Terrain roll

Tau Turn 6:

Notes:
- Gun Drones shoot the Dire Avengers, but no casualties
- Stealth Team also shoots the Dire Avengers, killing 1 model (Exarch passes Pinning test)
- Dire Avenger Exarch passed his Morale test for 25% Casualties

Eldar Turn 6:

Notes:
- Dire Avenger Exarch passed his Last Man Standing roll
-- he uses Bladestorm to shoot the Stealth Team, scores 3 wounding hits but only 1 Drone fails its Save (if all 3 Saves had been failed then the unit would have been under half strength...)

End of the Game

Results:
Eldar scored 49 VPs (dropped Fire Warriors below half strength)
Tau scored 354 VPs (only Dire Avenger Exarch left)
= "Crushing Victory"

(post game musings to follow later)

comments and questions welcome.

cheers for reading!

~ Tim

Dang, nice bat rep, bad luck lady raven..how were your guardians so cowardly? They need the rigid will of the emperor or having a nice pointy knife or something.
How did you single out the gun crew of the guardian squad (was it a range thing a TOF thing or apllying wounds before saves thing?)(they can lose one crew guy and still be viable like guard can't they??)

killmaimburn wrote:Dang, nice bat rep

cheers mate

killmaimburn wrote:How did you single out the gun crew of the guardian squad (was it a range thing a TOF thing or apllying wounds before saves thing?)(they can lose one crew guy and still be viable like guard can't they??)

the unit retreated from the edge of the wreckage so that only 1 crewman and 1 meatshield... err Guardian were within 6" of the edge of the (Sz 2) Area Terrain.

this way i couldnt possibly kill both crew, but the weapon could still fire (and the crewman might even have survived thanks to his comrade).

standard Guardian tactic - and you have to shoot the crewman when you get the chance or she will just be able to do it again (once there is only 1 crewman left it gets too risky, unless you want to go for VP denial).

and yes, either crewman can fire the weapon, so we just swap the models over (it can even move and fire, so moving the surviving crewman out from hiding doesnt prevent him shooting, unlike IG).

cheers

~ Tim

Very good write up and diagrams

How come the Dire Avengers lost 5 men and still had one standing? (having had 5 to start with!)

I think in a game so small, removing models (skyleaping) is a very risky tactic. You take away a good chunk of your force/support (over 25% in this case) with no knowledge of where or when you might get them back. I think I'd keep them on the table for the duration and use their jump movement to good effect (maybe in combination with the jetbikes).

mattjgilbert wrote:Very good write up and diagrams

cheers

mattjgilbert wrote:How come the Dire Avengers lost 5 men and still had one standing? (having had 5 to start with!)

the DA unit is 6 models - 5 Avengers + the Exarch.

EDIT: hang on...

OK, i dont know how, but i was convinced that unit was 6 models. ive just double checked the list and re-added the points, and theres only supposed to be 4 Avengers (+ Exarch)!! whoops.

good thing you spotted that, mate!
(hmm, now that Bladestorm marker i made has too many ammo clips on it )

cheers

~ Tim

So is the game now void?

"Rematch. Rematch. Rematch"

I second Matt, rematch!


*hands lady raven loaded dice of doom*

hang on, she was the one with the extra model!
(besides, she beats me more often than i beat her!)

we are hoping to get another game in tomorrow night (same board, swapping DZs) - thats our last night free before we have to start packing! (8O)

cheers

~ Tim

LordMalekTheRedKnight wrote:hang on, she was the one with the extra model!

Which unbalanced her army and put her off so she was at a disadvantage