Marvellously Mundane Miniatures: March 2019

To playtest the Tau Vior’la list in development, I had a 2000 points game of Epic back in February, so here's a tardy battle report.

The forces

My list was very suit heavy, which is the aim of the Vior’la list. Strangely for Tau it didn’t rely massively on markerlights, which was an interesting change.

Pathfinders- 4x Pathfinders, 2x Devilfish, 3x Tetra- 275
Crisis Cadre (Blue Cadre)- 6x XV8, Shas'El- 325
Crisis Cadre (Green Cadre)- 6x XV8, Shas'El- 325
Heavy Battlesuits- 3x Riptides, Shas'El- 350
Stormsurges- 250
Supremacy- Pulse Ordinance Multi Driver- 275
Razorsharks- 200

Blip, my oppoenet, took an Eldar Ulth’we list, although I think the points are off slightly. I had noted that the Aspect Troupe were the Eldar’s most expensive unit, when they weren’t. And this list is 75 points short. No matter!

BLACK GUARDIAN WARHOST (MOUNTED)- 4 Waveserpents, Farseers, 6 Guardians, Seer Council [475]

BLACK GUARDIAN WARHOST- 2 Farseers, 6 Guardians [175]
RANGER TROUPE- 6 Ranger [150]
ASPECT TROUPE- 2 Dire Avenger, 4 Fire Dragon, 3 Wave Serpent, Exarch [425]
FALCON TROUPE- 3 Falcon, 2 Fire Storm [250]
FALCON TROUPE- 3 Falcon, 2 Fire Storm [250]
VAMPIRE RAIDER [200]

Deployment

Both Blitz objectives were placed pretty central, with the Tau Blitz hidden behind industrial silos and the Eldar Blitz behind hills and rock formations. The Eldar objectives were placed far apart, one way out on the Tau left flank, and the other in front of a settlement by the Tau right flank. I placed my objectives very aggressively around the Eldar Blitz, aiming to strike aggressively with Crisis & Riptides.

In deployment, Blip placed his Mecahnised Guardians and Aspect Troupe centrally, flanked by the Falcon Troupes, with a forward scout screen of Rangers. Approaching at high altitude were more Guardians in a Vampire. I placed both Crisis Cadres on my left flank, to loop round and provide each other with mutual support, with the Eldar held down with fire from the more centrally placed heavy battlesuits. The Pathfinders spread out in the centre too, to ensure maximum markerlight coverage.

Turn 1

1.1- Despite winning initiative, Blip decided to let the Tau make the first move, an opportunity I quickly squandered by failing to place my Razorsharks on CAP.

1.2- The Falcon Troupe on my left flank doubled up towards the centre, triggering overwatch from Pathfinders, but absorbing the damage and taking out a Tetra in response.

1.3- The Tau big guns opened up, with the Supremacy Armour sustaining on the Aspect Troupe, killing a Wave Serpent and a Fire Dragon.

1.4- The Pathfinders were then assaulted by Guardians swooping in in their Vampire. Despite holding on valiantly, with the engagement going on to a second round, the Pathfinders were wiped out.

1.5- Meanwhile, the Crisis Suits performed co-ordinated fire without the fire, doubling up the Tau left flank.

1.6- The second Falcon Troupe doubled up and poured fire into the Riptides, with one of the Tau heavy battlesuits succumbing to the fire.

1.7- In retribution for the loss of their comrades, the Riptides marshalled, killing a Guardian from the foot Guardians and removing their blast markers.

1.8- The Seer Council doubled up on the Tau left flank to counter the Crisis Suits, destroying a stand from Green Cadre.

1.9- Back in the centre, the Stormsurges advanced on their unwelcome visitors, destroying a Falcon and a Fire Storm, breaking the Eldar formation.

At some point in all this, the Rangers remained in overwatch, but I didn’t note down when. Woops! During the End Phase Green Cadre and the foot Guardians rallied, but the broken Falcon Troupe did not.

Battle commences!

The Supemacy Armour opens up its bombardment.

Tau battlesuits stand ready.

Eldar swoop in to elimate the Tau forward scouts.

Crisis suits push up into the Eldar flank.

Turn 2

The Eldar Avatar, incarnation of war appeared in a wrathful blaze on the Tau left flank. Unflinching in pursuit of the Greater Good, the Tau won the vital initiative roll!

2.1- Blue Cadre flanked the Seer Council and inflicted heavy casualties, including the Seer Council itself and 3 other stands.

2.2- Retaining the initiative, Green Cadre engaged the intermingled Avatar and Seer Council formation, killing the Avatar whilst taking no damage themselves. Blue Cadre provided supporting fire. In combat resolution the Eldar nearly held, only losing by 1, but losing nonetheless and fleeing from the corpse of their Avatar.

2.3- The Vampire strafed the Riptides, but the shots bounced off their heavy armour and powerful shields.

2.4- Trying to bring down the heavy battlesuits with focused fire, the unbroken Falcon Troupe retained, doubled towards the Riptides but again their shots were ineffective.

2.5- Continuing its bombardment from the previous turn, the Supremacy Armour attempted to keep the Aspect Troupe with their heads down by sustaining on them but did no damage.

2.6- The Razorsharks failed their attempt to retain. There must have been some fierce dogfighting happening somewhere else to keep them from turning up 2 turns in a row…

2.7- Keeping quiet, the foot Guardians marshalled whilst spreading out into the surrounding town.

2.8- The foot Guardians were not quiet enough, as the Stormsurges stomped towards them, disintegrating a stand of Guardians.

2.9- Back over on the Tau left flank, the Rangers sniped at Green Cadre although they inflicted no damage.

2.10- Having been targeted repeatedly, the Riptides failed to advance, instead holding and shedding all their blast markers.

2.11- Seizing upon the prep fire done by the Rangers, the Aspect Troupe engaged Green Crisis, but were beaten off, losing combat resolution by 1, after losing 2 Wave Serpents but also taking out a Crisis stand.

Bloody but unbowed, the broken Falcons and Aspect Troupe rallied during the end phase.

The Avatar appears!

Crisis Suits fend off the Aspect Troupe.

The board towards the end of turn 2.

Turn 3

3.1- Needing to start securing objectives and support the Crisis Cadres looping in on the flank, the Riptides advanced whilst firing at the Falcon Troupe in the centre of the board, to no avail.

3.2- Retaining, the Supremacy Armour continued to pound the Aspect Troupe for the third time, killing an Exarch and breaking the formation.

3.3- Doubling, the Falcons in the centre of the board popped up, damaged a Riptide and then swooped in on the objective on the Tau left flank.

3.4- Finally the skies saw the arrival of Tau fighters, who mercilessly swooped in on the Aspect Troupe, wiping out the formation and claiming BTS for the Tau!

3.5- My notes don’t say! The Rangers must have activated again, but I’m not quite sure what they did.

3.6- Blue Cadre doubled up towards the Eldar objectives, putting a blast marker on the former Seer Council formation.

3.7- The freshly rallied Falcon Troupe, lurking behind a hillside deep into the Tau right flank, got crossfire against the Stormsurges from the foot Guardians. Bringing down one of the Tau walkers, the remaining Stormsurge broke and fled back towards the Tau Blitz.

3.8- Green Cadre doubled up trying to grab objectives, killing a Ranger in the process.

3.9- Countering the Tau push, the former Seer Council advanced. Pouring firepower into Green Cadre they broke the Crisis suits, forcing them off of the Eldar objectives!

3.10- The Vampire strafed the Riptides, again ineffectually.

3.11- The foot Guardians rallied, securing their foothold on the Tau objective they’d been sat on all game.

Stormsurges hunt for Guardians,

Crisis suits deep into Eldar territory.

Stormsurges caught in a deadly crossfire!

Fierce battle for the Eldar objectives.

And so the game ended 2-1 (I need to double in favour of the Eldar! Both sides had taken a beating, but the Eldar had been able to secure the objectives in their table half whilst seizing the two normal Tau objectives.

Eldar aren’t a force I normally play against, and I appreciated the toughness of the Tau suits compared to the fragile Eldar. I just annoyingly wasn’t able to push from my left flank onto the Eldar centre hard enough to secure the game.

Nonetheless, it was a great game, and running lots of Tau suits is always fun!