Tau XV 107

New month and a new Tau battlesuit, this time the XV 107 riptide variant.
This is painted in the same style as the rest of my Tau army, and I have kept the battle damage to a max on this one as well.

On the battle field XV107 is a perfect partner to XV109, as this one is heavy armour and the main weapon has a range of 60" and is perfect for taking down biks and dogs :-)
I have tested this suit in battle some times now and the fire power this one have is very impressive.
With the nova reactor and the invulnerable save it is hard to take down, and can take a lot off damage. And as long as I do not roll a 1 or 2 it might also shoot twice some rounds :-)

Next up is another suit that might hide in the shadows,,,

Tau Stormsurge

After some slow weeks I finelly got my Tau Stormsurge done, this little battlesuite is my final part of the 1500 std Tau army I am planning on fielding.
I have used the same techniques on this, as my other Tau army, but here the armour plates are much bigger so I think more time to get right, and I am stil not pleased With everything, and might stil change some things.

I went With the big D cannon on this one, it have Shorter range but when I get this one close it is very deadly. Not only does it have 2 D shoots, but it can also bring the mighty stomp :-)

The ability to shoot all weapons twice is also handy if I stand stil for 2 rounds.



Up Next for the Tau is some Riptides and normal suits to be able to field some nice formations.

And there might be a suit hideing somewhere on the table...

Tau goes to Nottigham

we are only days away from the "Alpharius" event in Nottigham, and my Tau army is almost done.
This a army I started on slowly this winter, and I got very inspiered to get it done for the doubles weekend. The Army wil be a suits army, a small Farsight group that have all the Tau high tec.
For the weekend my main go to suite wil be the XV109

As we will be playing Malestrom missions the troops wil be very importent to take the objectives so there will be some units of Fire Warriors, these guys will bring some back up shooting to the table

And what Tau army would be complete with out Battle suits and Broadsides. There will be 3 Battle suits and 1 Broadside in the 1010 point army.


The playtesting have shown me that I need more markerlights, and some small units of Pathfinders, so finnishing these is the last thing to do before Team Stormbolter takes on Nottingham.

2013 Kick off - Battle Report - Chaos Space Marines vs Tau

Trond and his family celebrated New Year's eve at my place, so we decided to grab the opportunity to get this year's first game in before they had to leave this afternoon. Not having had the foresight to bring his Eldar along, I stuck Trond with my Tau. We each prepared a quick 500 points list, and set up a 4' by 4' table.

Crisis Suit team - Plasma Rifle, TL Missile Pod - Plasma Rifle, TL Missile Pod, Shield Drone - Plasma Rifle, Fusion Blaster, Multi-tracker Stealth Suit Team - Three Shas'ui Ten Fire Warriors Ten Fire Warriors

Chaos Sorcerer - Lvl 2, MoTzeentch - Spell Familiar - Combi-flamer Ten Chaos Space Marines - Asp. Champion w/P.Sword - Two Meltaguns - CCWpns, VotLW Ten Chaos Space Marines - Two Plasma guns - CCWpns, VotLW

Scenario: The Relic
Deployment: Hammer and Anvil

Shas'vre Kael scanned the tactical readout displayed on his suit HUD one last time. His small scout force would not reach the injured Shas'ui S'nik in time to extract him, but there was perhaps still time enough to set an ambush - if only barely...

I won the roll-off to choose table edge, so I chose the one with the most terrain, to keep the fishmen from being able to deploy there. I also won the roll-off for initiative, so I took first turn an deployed the Melta squad forward to go grab the downed Tau Pathfinder (Relic) and the Plasma squad in the large ruin where they would have line of sight to most of the battlefield.

Trond deployed the Fire Warrios and the Crisis Team a little ways back out of Bolter range, and prepares to try and shoot the Chaos Marines to pieces before moving in for their fallen comrade late game. The Stealth suits infiltrated out of sight in another ruin on my left flank, to harass the Melta squad.

There wasn't much to do but to go for it and push forward. For a few turns, I moved both squads towards the Pathfinder while trading bullets with the Tau forces. By turn four, the Melta squad was down to the Champion and one specialist and the Plasma squad was at half strength. One of the Fire Warrior teams was down to three models while the Crisis suits had lost the shield drone and a wound off two of the Shas'ui.

The Plasma squad met the Sorcerer as he left the Melta squad to join them, while grabbing the Pathfinder. The Plasma squad then used Rapid Fire to take the remaining wound off the two damaged Crisis Suits while the Melta gunner and his Champion assaulted and wiped out the full-sized Fire Warrior squad - for First Blood.

The Stealth Suit team moved in on the Champion and perforated him. The Chaos Marine with the Meltagun was lying on the mound of Fire Warriors nearby. The remaining Crisis Suit and three Fire warriors killed another one or two members from the Plasma Squad, but was assaulted and slain by the end of turn six.

Both the remaining three Tau models and the last four CSM models got into their opponent's Deployment Zone to claim Linebreaker.

CSM: 5 vps
Tau: 1 vp

Cererros the Fleshsmith examined the sealed cylinder that had been hanging from a chain around the broken neck of the now discarded xenos scout. He had to link up with the remaining Word Bearers dirtside and make haste for the extraction point to be able to open the small case and determine the exact nature of it's content. Once back onboard the Veritatem, it would be an easy enough task, but he lacked the necessary tools here.

As the Word Bearers moved out, Cererros sensed a psychic pulse and knew he would not be allowed to leave without shedding more xenos blood.

I went to Jørn and....

So time to try and beat Jørn at his home turf with my trusty Eldars..... ooooops. Let`s see: Warwalkers, vypers... check, waveserpents.... check... miniatures.... oh no. NOT again! So what to to. Well Jørn, a veteran gamer of many years, and a collector of warhammer stuff, obviously has more than one army! Crank up army builder and lets gets typing. TAU!

Jørn scurried through his suitcases and in a matter of minutes the complete 2000 pts+ Tau army was laid out in front of me.

What`s a Shas`O or Shas`vre? No idea, but I have to get the grip of this army fast, Jørn is quietly grinning, and I can practically hear Kharn grinning just thinking of how many Tau he is going to offer to the blood god. But having been at the recieving end of a tau gunline, I know what hurts. Key elements. FIREPOWER and lots of it, guided in by markerlights. So Hammerheads, patfinders, stealth suits, crisis suits, and as many firewarriors, devilfishes and sms as I could muster. All led by a Shas `O? (still not sure)

So what can Jørn`s Tau army at the hand of the Eldar general do against Jørn`s sharp end of his chaos army? I feel since Jørn taped the whole game can give a much more accurate battlereport - but some key elements. Pitched battle deployment, Jørn won the initiative, and we are playing capture and controll...? one objective in each deployment zone.

Jørn deployed first, leaning forward towards the Tau gun line. And wouldn`t you know, I picked up the dice for stealing the initiative and: 6! Me first. Round 1, landraider, markerlights, Railcannon S10 AP 1.... Wrecked... :)-

An old adversary

So... Trond stopped by to play a game the other day. I had been playing around with ArmyBuilder to catalogue the Tau models I had painted up from when I used to play them. A little friendly banter later I found myself having to dig out 2000 points of sci-fishmen from various transport cases and cupboards. I even had to dig around in the cardboard boxes in the storeroom, but I got out enough to field the following list:

Tau Empire army "Mon'tyr Kauyon"

Shas'O

Crisis Team (2)
Stealth Team (5)
Stealth Team (5)

Fire Warriors (10) in Devilfish (SMS++)
Fire Warriors (10) in Devilfish (SMS++)
Kroot(15) with Kroothounds (5)

Sniper Drone Team (1+3) x2
Hammerhead (Railgun+SMS++)
Hammerhead (Railgun+SMS++)

Nothing overly competitive there, but I suppose very little from the Tau Empire codex is considered 'hard' anyway. The more well-versed reader will probably already have noted a distinct lack of 'suits - Crisis and Broadsides both. I don't really care for the way they look, and never got around to ordering the Forgeworld variants in stead.

Trond was bringing a pretty typical Eldar list - with one notable exception. (Can anyone spot the missing unit?)

Farseer

Fire Dragons (5)
Fire Dragons (5)

Dire Avengers (10) in Wave Serpent
Storm Guardians (10) in Wave Serpent
Pathfinders (5)
Pathfinders (5)

Vypers (3)
Vypers (3)

Falcon
Falcon
War Walkers (3)

Deployment

We rolled up the Annihilation mission (Kill Points) and Dawn of War deployment. Not the ideal set of mission parameters, but you've just got to play the hand you're dealt - right? At least I won the initiative, so I elected to deploy one Devilfish and the Fire Warriors in it as far forward as possible. The transport idled on one side of the Shrine of the Aquilla ruin in the centre of the board and the squad spread out on the other. The idea was to deny Trond as much area as possible, just like I'd done against Ørnulv last week. I Outflanked the Kroot and let the rest come in from my table-edge turn one.

Trond responded by deploying his Pathfinder squads and Reserving everything else. The War Walkers would outflank. This was more of a gamble than what I would have tried, with no Autarchs to boost his Reserves rolls, but he probably had a plan...

Turn one

Under the cover of darkness, I moved the deployed Devilfish back and into cover behind the Shrine ruin and moved/ran the squad to meet it. The rest of my army moved in from my table edge, running as nescessary to try to get into decent fire-positions. The Fire Warriors unit that hadn't deployed move up behind the ruin

Trond didn't have anything coming in, so he just attempted to fire at my re-deploying Fire Warriors. One of the Pathfinder units even spotted them, and killed the last model in the line. The rest of the team passed their Pinning check easily enough.

Turn two

With nothing except the Pathfinders to shoot at, the Tau infantry moved and ran again. Even the Kroot arrived, on my left hand table edge. The deployed Fire Warriors re-embarked in their Devilfish, while the rest of the army tried to close to firing range without leaving cover. Unable to Run, the vehicles that could fired at the Pathfinders and caused enough casualties on one of the squad to make them take - and fail - a Break test. Off the table they went, and I was up a Kill Point.

Three out of the seven Eldar units in Reserves arrived. Both units of Fire Dragons in a Falcon each as well as the Farseer with the Dire Avengers in their Wave Serpent. Trond put them all in on my right flank. As far away from the Tau guns as possible but still within striking distance of a Devilfish. In the shooting phase, the Devilfish was quickly wrecked and the Firewarriors forced outside again.

Turn three

The Tau on my left flank that still couldn't see much besides the remaining Pathfinders spent another turn moving and running (as well as some jumping around in the assault phase). The Kroot spread out to deny as much area as possible on my left flank. The Hammerheads wrecked one of the Falcons and immobilized the other one as retaliation for the Devilfish. A Stealth Suit team that had worked their way up next to the Shrine ruin took the Pathfinders down to three, but this time Trond passed the break test.

The Wave Serpent that came in with the Falcons moved flat out to hide behind the ruin on my right flank just as the Wave Serpent with the Storm Guardians came in alongside one of the Vyper squadrons on my left flank. Trond targeted the Pathfinders' Devilfish with the Wave Serpent and Vypers, and stunned and immobilized it. The War Walkers fired at the Tau Pathfinders in the ruin next to their transport but only managed to kill half of them.

Turn four

With my Pathfinders finally in position, I got so exited about finally getting to use their Markerlights that I'd checked line of sight and fired them at the Wave Serpent before I remembered I'd forgotten to move anything at all. I decided I was in a decent enough position anyway, and could kick myself later. In stead, I used two of the three hits I'd gotten to launch the stunned and immobilised Devilfish's Seeker Missiles - while I still could. Both missiles hit, but I rolled a one and a two to penetrate so they must have been duds. The Kroot remained sationary to fire their rifles. Three hits and then three sixes to penetrate turned into one wreck, one destroyed Scatter Laser and a crew-ignores-stunned. The Crisis team rounded off the phase by blowing the turret off the Wave Serpent next to the Vypers.

The War Walkers and the second Vyper squadron both arrrived this turn. The War Walkers on my left flank behind my Kroot, where I didn't want them, and the Vypers on my right, where I didn't really understand what Trond was trying to achieve. The last few Eldar Pathfinders left their crater and hid out of sight behind the trio of vats next to it. The Wave Serpent with the Farseer and Dire Avengers zoomed further up towards my table edge. The Storm Guardians left their Wave Serpent and moved towards the Kroot, followed by two Vypers. Shooting saw a mere handful of Kroot and a couple of Tau Pathfinders biting the dust, but the Trond declared that the Guardians would forgo shooting to run - and then assault the Devilfish! They also made contact with the Kroot, but unfortunately for the Pathfinders they only managed to kill five of the avians. The Warlock did destroy the Devifish, though didn't manage to blow it up like Trond had hoped. (The evil conniving git that he is!) In return the Kroot killed six Guardians, but Trond passed the Break test.

Turn five

I didn't feel comfortable with the War Walkers in my backyard, so I moved one Pathfinder team and the Shas'O and Crisis team closer to get in range and have clear shots with 'enough' units. With the Hammerheads lending a hand, or rather their Smart Missiles to the job, all three were smoking wrecks before the phase was over. Al other shots were either out of range, had no line of sight or just plain missed. The Kroot wiped out, and settled down to eat, the last of the Guardians.

Probably sensing the battle was drawing to an end, the Farseer and Dire Avengers disembarked and moved towards a nearby Sniper Drone team. The Vypers and Wave Serpent adjusted their position a little and fired a few shots at the remaining Kroot, not even causing enough wounds to meke them take a Break test. The Dire Avengers cut the drones and their controller to oily/bloody pieces in a storm of circular blades.

- + - + - + -

With that, we decided to end the game. Tau were up four kill points (Pathfinders, Falcon, Avengers and War Walkers) to Eldar's three (Two Devilfish and a Sniper Drone team), and it didn't look like they'd be able to catch up anyway.

It was fun dusting off the Tau for once, but I don't think they'll be making a comeback just yet. I do wonder how they'd fare against Ørnulv's UltraGunline though...

Mont'yr Kauyon - 2000 poeng

Det er noe eget med miniatyrer som er klare i siste liten...

Det stinker polyurethan i boden oppe i skogkanten, men gjør ingen ting synes jeg. (Forhåpentligvis lukter det ikke så ille lenger innen Tonje kommer hjem... )

Men nok prat! Bilder, bilder, bilder!!!

Devilfish'ene i rene basifarger:


...og nylakkerte:


Ikke noe førbilde av Crisis-suit'ene, men her her de etter en kjapp dukkert:

Da Green Tide

"OI!!! We'ze baaakk!"
Mekzod Gutsnik had been hollering for the past hour, while directing the driver of his new Trukk down one deserted street after another. The rest of the Tribe was close behind, and growing bored and irritable. If those blue-skinned pansies turned up soon, the Goffs were going to jump the Bad Moons for sure.

Dato:	30.09.2008
Mission:	Annihilation
Deployment:	Spearhead
	2000 poeng
Orks	Warboss
	Nob mob (3) Masse orker... Store Mobs, Warphead, Trukks, Buggies, Warphead, Hellakoptas... ;) Liste skulle komme.
Tau Empire	Shas'el Fusion Blaster, Plasma Rifle
	Crisis Suit Team (2) Twin-linked Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle Stealth Suit Team (5) Stealth Suit Team (5) Fire Warrior Team (12) Devilfish SMS Fire Warrior Team (12) Devilfish SMS Kroot (15) Kroot Hounds (5) Pathfinders (8) Devilfish SMS, Seeker Missile x2 Sniper Drone Team (4x2) Hammerhead Railgun, SMS Hammerhead Railgun, SMS

Jørn velger Deployment Zone og setter opp først. Pathfindere, Sniper Drones og et Fire Warrior team plasseres med oversikt over området orkene må krysse. Kjøretøyene plasseres lenger bak, men klar til å ild-og-bevegelse.
Trond setter så mange Boyz så langt frem som mulig og med mesteparten i dekning. Kjøretøy plasseres på begge flankene for å tvinge Tau-arméen til konfrontasjon så fort som mulig.

De første tre rundene bruker Orkene på å avansere gjennom et kuleregn, mens de legger igjen håndfuller av modeller hele veien. Kjøretøyene knekkes ett etter ett, og selv Krootene klarer å hakke (!) ned to Trukk Mobz med hjelp fra et Stealt Suit tea., og Tronds Looted Wagon får ikke avgårde mer enn ett skudd med sin store kanon før den går i lufta. Det andre Stealth Suit teamet stopper Warbossens Trukk og sørger for at han aldri får blandet seg inn, men blir bombet og skutt i stykker av Dethkopta-skvadronen rett etterpå. Kun en mann overlever, men feiler Break testen sin og faller tilbake innenfor rekkevidde av Warbossen...

I runde fire får Orkene endelig Assaultet, og et Sniper Drone Team og en immobilisert Hammerhead knuses keramikk under jernbeslåtte støvler. Tau har kun tre av fem kjøretøy igjen på bordet, og kun to av dem er mobile. Jørn reposisjonerer frenetisk, og håper på en avgjørende runde med skyting før det hele er over.

I kampens avsluttende runder jager Orkene fortsatt etter de gjenværende Tau-enhetene, mens Jørn fokuserer den han har igjen av ildkraft på å ta ut de Orke-enhetene han kan klare å utslette.

Etter seks runder er telles Kill Point'ene opp, og vi står med fem-seks av enheter hver av fjorten-femten igjen på bordet. En særdeles blodig (og ganskje jevn fra runde fire) kamp ender fortjent 9 - 9.

The Lunax Interception

When the long-range scannar arrays had detected the tank coloumn, Shas'el D'yanoi Shi'va immediately redirected his forces to the bombed-out ruins to the south-east of the reported landing zone. The information his forces had recovered was either incorrect, or his scout had been allowed to take deliberately misleading data.
With the coloumn already within earshot, the Tau forces hurriedly headed for concealed positions. They were a fraction too late, however, and the lead vehicle spotted the devilfishes and haltet the coloumn in cover behind a small hill.
As the Shas'el and the devilfishes reached their designated positions, an energy emission nearly overloaded the battlesuit sensors. When the system recovered, it showed three unidentified entities. Another few moments and the Shas'el knew he'd been mistaken. These were not the forces of the Imperium of Man, but the dread Vash'aun'an warriors!

Deployment:
Tau Empire posisjonerer seg med Sniper-droner og Pathfinders i en ruin i det nordre hjørnet. Hammerheads vest for ruinen, tre devilfisher og Shas'el på østsiden. Krootene og Crisis-suitene i senter bak bakkeskrenten. Prince Ebolus stormer fram så langt han kan bak en søyle av kampestein, obliteratorene står også ganske langt framme litt lenger øst, mens 30 Plague Marines posisjonerer seg tett i senter og så langt vest som mulig for å kunne rykke fram på vestflanken, mens vindicator og predator truer korridoren i senter.
Begge Stealth-suitene infiltrerer farlig nær senter av krigssonen, der Ebolus' krigere og fem kjøretøyer allerede er i posisjon.

Turn 1
Jørn: Stealth-suitene har en ting å gjøre - rykke fram for å få øye på Chaos-krigerne. Den ene Hammerheaden flyr vestover og øyner en grønn og chaotisk rhino. Alle Devilfishene flyr sørøstover. Bom, bang - omtrent alt av Taus skudd treffer med helt usannsynlig bra rulling. Predatoren immobiliseres og store kanon går opp i røyk. En obliterator tar ett wound. De begynner å skjønne at offensiv tankegang har sin pris...
Linus: Alle rhinoene og vindicatoren rykker fram, røyklegger nærområdene. Ebolus flyr mot vestflanken og posisjonerer seg bak den krøplede predatoren. To units med plague marines hopper ut av kjøretøyene og i dekning. Både obliteratorene og predatoren skyter med laserkanoner, men de tre skuddene som treffer ruller alle enere på terningene for å penetrere.

Turn 2
Jørn: Crisis-suitene flyr lett opp på bakketoppen og skuler olmt ned på den levende vindicatoren. Bang og Caedis, store kanon er tilintetgjort. Nok en gang er treffsikkereten fantastisk. Hammerheadene posisjonerer seg smart til nordvest for nurgleflanken. Rhinoen lengst vekk blir både immobilisert og mister bolteren. Obliteratorene blir offer for ekstremt konsentrert ildgivning, T4 er langt fra nok og de forsvinner tilbake til imaterien. Ebolus er sint, hva kan han mane fram etter denne grusomme starten?
Linus: Både smådemonene og terminatorene kommer. Det var vel i tidligste laget? Demonene styres ned på toppen av bakketoppen. Terminatorene vurderer lenge om de skal suse inn i ruinen der Pathfinderne står, men velger det trygge og havner inn bak egne rekker (noe de kanskje angrer på i ettertid...). Ebolus nærmer seg Tau-blod, men eneste skade denne runden er tre Stealth-suits som blir offer for hard dakkadakka og noen plasmaguns. Demonen i rhinoen i sørvest klarer på mirakuløst vis å reparere de ødelagte beltene og kan flytte videre.

Turn 3
Jørn: Hammerheadene rykker enda nærmere rhinoene og treffer på alt, men gjør ikke annen skade enn å immobilisere den bakerste rhinoen. Demonene i både predatoren og vindicatoren sørger for at alle skudd som treffer flyr tvers gjennom skrogene, men uten å ødelegge vitale deler. Smådemonene på bakketoppen reduseres til det halve.
Linus: Plague Marinene hopper inn i rhinoene sine og drundrer framover i retning Hammerheadene. Ebolus flyr inn i nærkamp med en stealth-stuit-unit. Den ene laserkanonen som kan se en Devilfish, bommer, som seg hør og bør med ett enslig skudd. Dette er kanskje den beste runden for Ebolus' styrker i kveld. Demonene utsletter Crisis-suitene i nærkamp på hjørnet av bakketoppen. Ebolus selv utsletter Stealth suit-teamet, mens to plasmaguns sørger for at den ene Hammerheaden ikke får skyte eller flytte neste runde.

Turn 4
Jørn: Krootene dundrer inn i nærkamp med Ebolus(!) som fortsatt tørster etter blod og speider etter verter for virus, pest og gørr. Hammerheadene feiger ut og trekker seg tilbake. På den andre flanken jobber Devilfishene videre, men uten å skade Predatoren ytterligere. Alle skudd preller nærmest av eller absorberes av skroget. Ebolus står fjellstøtt og lar seg ikke påvirke av verken massiv ildgivning eller en liten nærkamp mot krootfislene. Krotene taper nærkampen og trekker seg tilbake.
Linus: Rhinoene på nordflanken dundrer fram, 20 Plague Marines velter ut så gørra flyter. Det er så mye blod og gørr at de ikke ser den enslige Stealth-suiten som sniker seg ubemerket bak den ene Hammerheaden. Isteden uskadeliggjør de kjøretøyet for en runde. Ebolus skal til å velte over krootene når han innser at demonene allerede har skremt dem nok til at kyllingene tilintetgjøres.

Turn 5:
Jørn: Markerlights og alt Tau Empire har forsket fram av ballistisk kunnskap og teknologi brukes på demonprinsen, som til slutt velger å oppløses i denne dimensjonen for å komme sterkere tilbake ved neste korsvei. Det samme gjelder smådemonene, som om ikke går opp i røyk, kanskje heller smelter ned i gresset. Fortsatt lar ikke Predatoren seg knekke, men det gjør endelig en av rhinoene ved foten av gressbakken. Stealth-stuiten lister seg tilbake og i trygghet.
Linus: Plague Marines dundrer fram for å ta den nærmeste Hammerheaden, men blir overrasket over treffsikkerheten til plasmaguns fra uniten bak, som allerede har ødelagt den avanserte flyvende stridsvognen. Siste Plague Marines-unit i sør stiller seg opp for å gi rhinoen deres mulig cover mot en velposisjonert Devilfish, men nær sagt alle kjøretøyenes cover saves har vært fiasko i kveld. Terminatorene bommer grovt på Shas'el, som nettopp har blitt rystet av Vindicatorens combibolter.

Stillingen er 4-4, men vi ruller for enda en runde. Noe Jørn ser ut til å være tilfreds med (og med god grunn, skal det vise seg, så lenge Tau Empire har bevegelighet nok til å trekke seg unna umiddelbar fare fra chaoskrigerne, men samtidig ha evnen til å gjør stor skade selv...)
Turn 6
Jørn: Laserkanon nummer to forsvinner fra Predatoren, men fortsatt gir den ikke Jørn noe Kill Point. Men Kill Point blir det når den andre rhinoen på den nordvestlige flanken med kreperer med et voldsomt drønn, og deretter sykt stønn.
Linus: Kun meningsløs posisjonering og flytting. Ingen skade er lenger mulig å påføre de gule lynvingene.

Og vi ruller høyt og dermed en siste og sjuende runde...
Turn 7
Jørn: I siste forsøk faller også Predator Mordeo, som selv om den ble nesten uskadeliggjort umiddelbart, kanskje var kveldens helt.
Linus: Hva kan vi gjøre. Et par-tre plasmaguns bommer og det var det. Daemons Prince Ebolus trekker sine styrker tilbake, men lover å komme styrket ut av dette feilskjæret.

Resultat: CSM: 4 Tau Empire: 6.

Stats:

Dato:	26.09.2008
Mission:	Annihilation
Deployment:	Spearhead - Table Quarters
	2000 poeng
Chaos Space Marines	Daemon Prince Ebolus (MoN, W, NR - 165)
	Terminator Squad (#5, HF, 2xC-M, AC w/F - 225) Plague Marines (#10, 2xPG, Icon, PC w/F, Rhino - 340) Plague Marines (#10, 2xPG, Icon, PC w/F, Rhino - 340) Plague Marines (#10, 2xPG, Icon, PC w/F, Rhino - 340) Lesser Daemons (#10 - 130) Vindicator (DP - 145) Predator (TL-LC, LC-Ss - 165)
Tau Empire	Shas'el Fusion Blaster, Plasma Rifle
	Crisis Suit Team (2) Twin-linked Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle Stealth Suit Team (5) Stealth Suit Team (5) Fire Warrior Team (12) Devilfish SMS Fire Warrior Team (12) Devilfish SMS Kroot (15) & Kroot Hounds (5) Pathfinders (8) Devilfish SMS, Seeker Missile x2 Sniper Drone Team (4x2) Hammerhead Railgun, SMS Hammerhead Railgun, SMS

Prince Ebolus' fury knew no bounds. Thwarted and waylayed mere kilometers from his goal. With nearly all his force's transports damaged beyond immediate repair he would be unable to snatch the idol before his deceitful allies arrived, but would have to withdraw and allow them to support his attack on the then reinforced and ever hated Ultramarine force guarding place of the the ancient shrine.

Entrapment

"Brother Chaplain, Scout-Sergeant Latesco signals. The Tau are approacing his position."
Veteran Sergeant Evangelis was standing just inside the entrance to the launch bay chapel.
"Let us be on our way then." came the response from the hooded figure rising in front of the statue of Guilliman. "The trap i set, but it is vital the xenos does not recover the data their spy was carrying.

Dato:	11.09.2008
Mission:	Capture and Control
Deployment:	Dawn of War
	2000 poeng
Ultramarines	Reclusiarch Jump Pack
	Terminator Squad (5) Hvy.Flamer x2 Terminator Squad (5) Assault Cannon Veteran Squad (10) P-Fist, Flamer, Drop pod Tactical Squad (10) P.Fist, Flamer, Drop pod Tactical Squad (10) Missile Launcher Tactical Squad (5) Lascannon Scout Squad (5) Hvy.Bolter, Teleport Homer Assault Squad (7) P.Fist, Flamer Devastator Squad (8) Missile Launcher x4 Predator Annihilator Hvy.Bolters Predator Anihilator Lascannons
Tau Empire	Shas'el Fusion Blaster, Plasma Rifle
	Crisis Suit Team (2) Twin-linked Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle Stealth Suit Team (5) Stealth Suit Team (5) Fire Warrior Team (12) Devilfish SMS Fire Warrior Team (12) Devilfish SMS Kroot (15) & Kroot Hounds (5) Pathfinders (8) Devilfish SMS, Seeker Missile x2 Sniper Drone Team (4x2) Hammerhead Railgun, SMS Hammerhead Railgun, SMS

Ørnulv vinner initiativet, og setter opp Scouts og fem Tactical Marines i en sentralt plassert ruin med god oversikt.
Jørn setter opp en squad Fire Warriors og Devilfishen deres drøyt 18" fra nevnte ruin, og infiltrerer Krootene i en ruin helt ute på østre flanke. Shas'el'en stiller seg opp bak et kondenstårn midt i mellom.











Runde 1
Ultramarines bakkestyrker rykker inn fra oppmarsjområdet nord for ruinene rett før Tau-styrken rykker inn fra sør. Dagen var i ferd med å gry, men foreløpig er skyggene for lange til effektiv ildgiving. Unntaket er Tau-styrken sine mange Smart Missile System, som skal høres mye denne dagen.

Runde 2 og 3
Den første Drop Pod'en hamrer ned i rett bak en Fire Warrior enhet i en kapellruin, og Chaplainen og Assault Marines flyr opp for å støtte dette angrepet på den vestre flanken. Den andre Drop Pod'en lander nordøst for den første. Søylene og sandsekkene i kapellet gir ikke i nærheten av nok dekning, så samtlige Fire Warriors kuttes raskt ned av Bolter og Flamer. Objektivet de holdt faller i Ultramarines sine hender.
Tau svarer med å konsentrere ilden mot Tactical squadene ved vestre og sentrale objektiv, mens Kroot'ene på østre flanke trekker dypere inn i ruinen etter en treffsikker serie Frag fra en Devastator Squad. Det tynnes ut med Tactical Marines rundt objektivene, og den siste Scout'en er plukket av bordet. Smart Missile'ene finner de blåkledde uansett hvor de skjuler seg.

Runde 4 og 5
Terminator Squad'ene teleporterer treffsikkert ned på målkoordinatene sine, og truer med å knuse motangrepet fra Tau. Begge spillerne må revurdere hvilke objektiver de nå har muligheten til å kontrollere, og hvilke fiendlige enheter de ikke kan la overleve. Ørnulf feiler en Break Test med den siste Tactical Marine'en på vestre flanke, slik at han trekker vekk fra objektivet der. Han stopper innefor seks tommer av en Hammerhead, slik at han ikke vil kunne omgruppere neste runde. Men så flytter Jørn Hammerhead'en for langt vekk etterpå, og Marinen MÅ dø for å nekte Ørnulv objektivet. Både Tactical og Scout Squad'en som holdt det sentrale objektivet er borte, men med en grei spurt klarer den siste Tactical Squad'en å gjenvinne det. Kroot'ene løper ut av ruinen de har gjemt seg i for å ta det østre objektivet, mens den siste Fire Warrior squad'en flytter opp mot senter for å ta objektivet mellom det sentrale og det østre. I kampens hete sluttminutter glemmer Ørnulv seg, og skyter Kroot med en Terminator Squad i stedet for å løpe med dem. Kroot'ene klarer sin andre(!) Ld-test for dagen og kan sikre objektivet, og 2 - 1

Shas'el D'yanoi Shi'va was re-examinig the informatio recovered from the Pathfinder Mon'at and his drone escort. The Water Caste cryptologists had only managed to decode a little of the data, but it was enough to tell him that the situation would definitely get worse before it got better. The courier ship had left the system already, but it would take a while before any help could be expected. He would have to gather what resources he did have, and pre-empt the Imperial offensive before their reinforcements could link up with their main force. The cadre moved south and east. Time was short.

Pest Control

Shas’el D’yanoi Shi’va was accessing the Orca's tactical sensors through the interface system in his Crisis Suit. They were not going to make it in time! The task would have to fall to the combat patrol to eliminate the Be'gel foraging party before they could discover the Tau mustering area.

Giving the signal, he watched until the sensors was blinded by the effects of atmospheric reentry as his forces moved to outflank the advancing Be'gel line.

Dato:	09.09.2008
Mission:	Annihilation
Deployment:	Dawn of War
	500 poeng Combat Patrol
Orks	Nob w/Power Claw. Boyz Mob (1+19) Rokkit Launcha (2) Nob w/Power Claw. Boyz Mob (1+19) Rokkit Launcha (2) Nob w/Power Claw. Trukk Boyz Mob (1+9)
Tau Empire	Crisis Suit Team (2) Fire Warrior Team (12) in Devilfish Kroot 12 and Kroot Hounds (5)/td>

Orkene velge den nordlige bordsiden, og setter opp begge Mob'ene midt på bordet og så langt frem som mulig. Tau Firewarriors setter opp i Devilfish'en sin opp mot Orkene lengst vest. Kroot infiltrerer bak orkenes linjer, helt ute på venstre flanke.

Jørn ruller en sekser, og stjeler initiativet.

Runde 1
Devilfish'en rykker frem på vestre flanke, mens Crisis teamet flytter inn på bordet bak den. Suit'ene ser ikke noe i mørket, men Krootene og Devilfishæen dreper fire orker fra nærmeste Mob.
Orkene østre flanke løper gjennom ruinene for å prøve å korte ned avstanden. Trukk Boyz'ene raser inn over noen kratere, hopper av og slakter Kroot i nærkamp uten å miste mer enn to-tre stykker selv.

Runde 2
Tau rykker litt frem og lenger ut på vestre flanke. Firewarriors laster ut og skyter ned halvparten av orkene i senter. Suit'ene klarer ikke å drepe noen av Truck Boyz'ene.
Begge Boyz Mob'ene rykker frem og skyter, men uten effekt. Trukk-boyz laster opp og raser mot Tau-styrken, åpenbart sultne på mer slåsskamp.

Runde 3
Fire Warriors laster opp. Devilfish trekker lenger ut på vestre flanke. Suits flytter opp på siden av Devilfis'en. Suits skyter Trukk. Devilfish skyter Trukk Boyz. Suits Assaulter Trukk boyz, og dreper de siste Boyz'ene. Nob'en treffer kun lite og skader mindre, så Tau vinner Close Combat (Kryss i taket!) og Nob'en stikker av.
Begge Boyz Mob'ene rykker frem. De lengst unna skyter og bommer. Trond aktiverer "Power of the Waagh!" for å gi orkene Fleet den runden. Bad Moon'ene løper mot Suit'ene, men nok en dårlig terreng-test hindrer dem i å nå helt frem.

Runde 4
Tau-styrken trekker enda lenger ut på vestre flanke. Fire Warriors laster ut igjen, og skyter i stykker nærmeste Boyz Mob sammen med Suit'ene.
Orkenes Siste Mob rykker nærmere. De treffer og penetrerer endelig Devilfish'en, men treffet anulleres av Disruption Pod.

Runde 5
Fire Warriors laster opp, og kjører inn i orkenes Deployment Zone, fortsatt på vestre flanke. Devilfishen og Suit'ene skyter en håndfull Boyz, før sistnevnte trekker tilbake utenfor Assault Range igjen.
Orkene fortsetter å nærme seg. De skyter på Suitene, og dreper én.

Runde 6
Slutten nærmer seg, og kampen er egentlig vunnet, så Tau'ene rykker nærmere igjen. To tredjedeler av gjenværende Boyz Mob faller for ildregnet.
De siste orkene er endelig nærme nok til å lukte blod nå, så de skynder seg fremover. De skyter, men bommer, og dreper heller den siste Crisis Suit'en i nærkamp.

Runde 7
Ingen bevegelse. Fire Warriors og Devilfish utsletter siste Boyz Mob.

Resultat:
Ork 2 KP
Tau 4 KP

Mekzod Gutsnik muttered under his breath as he loped along the muddy flood canal.
"Dem zoggin' Blu-skinz got lucky, is all. If me Klaw hadn't shorted, I'd shown dem gud an' propa!" The encampment wasn't too far off now. Once he'd gotten his Power Claw fixed, Mekzod planned to aquire a new Trukk and take charge of a few Boyz. "Better get sum 'arder uns diz time, an' finish dem gitz orf!"

Spillrapport

Invasion nærmer seg og i oppkjøringen til høstens turnering i Kristiansand kom Jørn slentrende med sine gode gamle Tau-arme for å teste ut 5th edition mot min Nurgle-arme. This is how it went:

Sett fra Chaos' side: Jørn velger bordside og må plassere hele sin arme først, mens jeg tar en skikkelig spansk en, velger å la Jørn starte, bare for å seize the initiative ved å rulle 6 og dermed få starte selv. Det er jeg glad for. Ikke sikkert Rhinoene ville kommet 12 tommer fram en gang dersom vi ikke hadde startet. Lærdom: Start alltid dersom du vil rushe forover med bussene.

Glemte flere vesentlige ting i dag igjen, blant annet smoke, og ikke minst ta cover save på den ene rhinoen som ble annihilert. Hadde ikke det skjedd kunne chaosgutta kanskje klart å holde eget objektiv til slutt.

Forover dundret uansett berserkerne og to units med plague marines. Rhinoene ble effektivt stoppet av haugevis med skudd, men etter flere runder hvor etter hvert var khornekrigerne borte, takket være solig skyting fra en haug av rapidfireskudd fra firewarriorene og mye, mye mer, klarte til slutt fem plague marines å kontrollere Taus objektiv. To plasmakanoner fra obliterators overrasket nok Jørn nesten like mye som meg i runde fem. Muligheten for å fjerne Taus eneste scoring unit på Tau-objektivet ble plutselig stor i siste runde, det som ble den siste. Plasmakanonene tok fire, mens plague marinene plaffet ned like mange.

Jørn: Er du helt sikker på at ikke Stealth Suits-uniten din sto innenfor 3 tommer av senter av ditt eget objektiv til slutt? I så fall ble dette en Draw - 0-0.

Den andre uniten med Plague Marines ble sittende fast i skogen. Da kollegenes Rhino raste tilbake for å plukke dem opp, presterte de faktisk å rulle snakeeyes to runder på rad på difficult terrain-testen, før Rhinoen kjørte seg fast. Helt utrolig.

Nurgledemonprinsen mistet wounds jevnt og trutt, blant annet fra Jørns infiltrerende Kroots' til sammen 60 skudd, og var to ganger i nærkamp med en hammerhead, bare for å klare stunned-resultater. Til slutt var det over også for prinsen, mens Kroot-uniten begynte marsjen mot chaosobjektivet. En runde eller to til så ville kanskje Krootene fjernet de tre siste obliteratorene og tatt objektivet.

Fakta:Dato: 11.08.2008Fredag 13. juni. Kl 19-03. Chili con carne, cola, øl, vin.Poeng: 1800
Armeer: Chaos Space Marines (Linus) - Tau (Jørn)
Resultat: Linus 1 (?) - Jørn - 0
Mission: Capture and control
Deployment: Pitched Battle